FC Ryukyu Updates in English

Match Day 20 Preview: (H) V.Varen Nagasaki vs. FC Ryukyu (A) at the transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki 6/29/2019, Kickoff at 1800.

Weather Forecast: Another wet and nasty match for FC Ryukyu as the rainy season here in Japan is relentless this year. Temperatures in the high 70s all match with rain and thunderstorms. Stay dry, if you can.

Intro

FC Ryukyu enter the match after suffering their heaviest loss to date in the J2. The 5-2 loss to Kofu at home also ended Ryukyu’s 30 game home unbeaten streak. Nagasaki on the hand are coming into the match having lost at home to Yamagata last weekend but are fresh of a 2-0 victory in the Levain cup this past Wednesday. This will be an interesting match-up as Ryukyu cold very well leave Nagasaki with a point since the hosts have lost 4 times at home this season and have also seen matches against Renofa and Kagoshima end in draws. Ryukyu are 8 points clear of the relegation zone and need a point as there will almost certainly be some shifting inside the table with so many of the lower 11 teams squaring off this weekend.

V.Varen Nagasaki

It almost seems as if Nagasaki prefers playing on the road compared to home this year as they have two more victories on the road than they do at home. They easily dispatched Chiba on the road with a resounding 4-1 win. They followed that up with a 3-2 loss to Okayama at home where Okayama jumped out to a 3 goal lead. Nagasaki had an early 2 goal lead against Zelvia but saw that lead evaporate after an own goal was followed up by another goal from Zelvia 6 minutes later. Against Yamagata they gave the visitors an early 2 goal advantage but were able to peg one back in the first half. Nagasaki dominated the possession and shots on the day but were unable to break down the Yamagata defense and suffered their 4^th home loss this season.

One could argue that Nagasaki are a typical mid-table team
as they’ve beaten almost every side they should’ve and lost to all the stronger
sides in J2. I do not see a signature win for Nagasaki this season, within the
constructs of the J2 as I am not including the Levain Cup matches, but Nagasaki
have lit up both Chiba and Gifu for 4 goals this year. They seem to suffer the
same fate as many of the mid table teams where they can have momentary lapses
in concentration that lead to opportunities and goals for their opponent.

I have little doubt that Nagasaki have targeted this match for 3 points and they have every right too. Ryukyu have not been great on the road this season and are coming off a performance where they conceded 5 times at home to Kofu.  Nagasaki present a real challenge for Ryukyu this week because they play a 4-4-2 and Ryukyu struggle to break that formation down for opportunities and Nagasaki can also enjoy large spells of possession. This will mean Ryukyu will have only a few opportunities today, probably in the form of a second half surge for about 20-25 minutes.

Nagasaki Players to Watch

#33 FW Hiroto Goya. The man is simply on fire right now for Nagasaki. He has scored 11 goals this season but most impressive is that he has scored 8 goals in the past 7 consecutive matches. Ryukyu always seem to struggle against the more powerful strikers in J2 and today could be no different. Ryukyu must make life difficult for Goya or else he will make life very difficult for Ryukyu.

#16 FW Masakazu Yoshioka. Second leading scorer on Nagasaki
with 6 goals. Plays down the left for Nagsaki.

#20 MF Yohei Otake. Plays down the right side for Nagasaki
behind Goya and is the assist leader for V.Varen with 4 so far this year.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu started the Kofu match in great form. They dominated the possession and chances early and were rewarded with 2 goals. The first was a beautifully taken free kick by Kazama while the second by Ochi was a product of Kawai’s tenacity and speed. Ryukyu looked to be cruising at home until they surrendered a late first half goal which started Kofu’s run of 5 unanswered goals. While Kofu looked to be a team where the injuries had finally caught up with them, they simply waited for their time to hit back at Ryukyu. Kofu were attempting to break the Ryukyu defense down with long balls over the top that the attackers could run onto and when Ryukyu began committing more of the defenders forward in attack, Kofu found the space they needed to exploit the Ryukyu back line.

Ryukyu does not have the best away record. In 9 matches this season they have only 1 win, 3 draws and 5 losses. If we broke the season down into quarters, we can see how Ryukyu earned a majority of their away points in the first quarter of the season with 5 and have only mustered 1 point in the second quarter while traveling. The statistics may not tell the whole story for Ryukyu as there were some injuries and suspensions to key players but nevertheless, Ryukyu needs to improve their road form in order to avoid a late season relegation scrap.

FC Ryukyu should see the return of Tanaka to the lineup today after his one game suspension and Ryukyu will most likely be without Tokumoto and Carvajal as they recover from ankle injuries. FC Ryukyu will need better passes and crosses from the 2 full backs of Fukui and Nishioka if they are to be successful today. Personally, I’d like to see Higuchi move Masutani out wide into a FB position and push Fukui back inside. Masutani is a better defender than Fukui but he is also a better attacker and if Ryukyu want to continue pushing FBs into the attack, then why not have someone who can deliver quality crosses and/or shots on net.

Player Injuries

V.Varen Nagasaki: #41 MF Yuki Omoto

FC Ryukyu: #5 DF Tokumoto & #1 GK Carvajal

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Apply pressure from all angles to Goya. He is far and
away Nagasaki’s best player and one of the better finishers in the J2. The man
is in top form right now as mentioned earlier with his recent run of goals. Ryukyu
should not leave it to either Okazaki or Masutani to single handedly mark #33,
but rather, should have multiple defenders pressing Goya from all sides to
force him to expend more energy attempting to break free.

2. Do not over commit to the attack and leave our defenders exposed. Ryukyu were guilty of this during the Kofu match and they paid a heavy price for their mistake. If Goya is given large amounts of space to operate, he will punish Ryukyu with his strength, speed and finishing. Hopefully FC Ryukyu will adopt more of the same approach to the match that saw them earn draws against Yamagata and Verdy on the road.

3. Cut down on the turnovers and wayward passing. Ryukyu
turned the ball over too many times against Kofu in addition to not providing
accurate crosses/passes near Kofu’s 18-yard box. Ryukyu will need their full
backs to deliver today and will certainly need better passing when in
possession so as to avoid costly turnovers that can allow Nagasaki quick
counters.

4. Execute the counter attack to perfection. Ryukyu will need to endure some serious spells of possession by Nagasaki throughout the match but when they do get their opportunity to strike back, Ryukyu need to break out quickly with speed. Kawai is turning into a valuable weapon that can cause all sorts of problem to opposing teams’ fullbacks. If Kawai can get behind the Nagasaki defense on a couple of occasions today it could free up some space for Suzuki. There is no guarantee that Kawai starts with the return of Tanaka today so we will have to wait and see.

Match Prediction

Nagasaki average 1.11 goals at home whereas Ryukyu concede an average of 1.55 goals as visitors. One could argue that the sides look even on paper when comparing Nagasaki’s home record and Ryukyu’s away record but Ryukyu have yet to win away from Okinawa in the past 8 matches. Nagasaki have won 3, drawn 2 and lost 4 at home with Ryukyu having won once, drawn 3 times and lost 5. Each has scored a total of 10 goals in those matches but Ryukyu have conceded slightly more often than Nagasaki.

Ryukyu hold a slight advantage when looking at each sides’ record against opponents in the top half of the table with Ryukyu scoring more goals against that level of competition compared to Nagasaki. This will also be Nagasaki’s 4^th match in 10 days and hopefully there are some tired legs on the Nagasaki squad that Ryukyu can exploit though most of the expected starters for Nagasaki were rested during their mid-week Levain Cup match. Hopefully this will be an enjoyable match to watch and I’d love to see Ryukyu score more than 2 goals.

Nagasaki 2-2 FC Ryukyu.

Conclusion

A point for Ryukyu would mean so much for a side that is
struggling to keep opponents off the score sheet and earn wins on the road.
Ryukyu will certainly have their chances today and they need to be clinical in
front of goal. Good luck to the boys and those of you in attendance.

Intro

FC Ryukyu tasted defeat at home for the fist time in 643 days. The loss was a bitter pill to swallow and made worse by the fact that FC Ryukyu were up 2-0 at one point during the match. The loss does more than end the impressive 30 game home unbeaten run by FC Ryukyu, it indicates that FC Ryukyu have serious issues that need to be addressed quickly before FC Ryukyu falls into the relegation zone

First Half

FC Ryukyu played a magnificent first half that saw them dominate
Kofu in every facet of the match. FC Ryukyu had 67% possession, out shot Kofu
9/1 with a 6/1 ratio of shots on target. FC Ryukyu maintained great shape when
they controlled possession with wide open passing and running lane open in the
attack. Kawai, who stated in place of the suspended Tanaka, was causing all
sorts of problems for the Kofu defense with his speed. FC Ryukyu dominated so
much of the game in the first 20 minutes that it felt like a goal was coming with
all signs pointing towards an FC Ryukyu victory.

In the 22^nd minute, Ryukyu were awarded a free
kick from about 40m out, which promptly turned into another free kick from
about 28m when the Kofu defender committed a handball from the original Uesato
shot. Kazama stepped up for the 2^nd FK and delivered and absolute
top draw shot. Kofu’s keeper couldn’t get to the curling shot into the top
corner and it gave FC Ryukyu the early 1-0 lead.

Kofo’s first chance in the match didn’t occur until the 27^th
minute but even then, they never really threatened the Ryukyu net for much of
the first half. 10 minutes later, Kawai took a pass just inside his own half
and made a darting run at the Kofu goal. Kawai’s speed proved too much for the
Kofu defender who allowed Kawai to get past him and find a wide-open Ochi who slotted
home a goal past the Kofu GK. FC Ryukyu were absolutely cruising at the 38
minute mark up 2-0 and I thought the side had finally turned a corner in their
development, but I was soon mistaken.

I mentioned in the match day recap last week how a goal near
the very end of halftime can really turn the fortunes of a football team. It inflates
hopes of the scoring team while deflating the hopes of the team who was just
scored upon simultaneously. This proved to be the case for FC Ryukyu because
they surrendered a goal to Kofu near half time. Mind you, Kofu had no chances
on net for nearly 44 minutes of the first half. There were no less than 3 errors
committed by FC Ryukyu on the Kofu goal as surmised below. First, Masutani was
caught way out of position and then took a bad angle in his tracking back to
defend the attacking Kofu player. Second, Ishii was way too timid on his “attempted
save of the cross” and this allowed the ball to sneak past him, Utaka, and a
diving Okazaki that ultimately found the Kofu attacker at the far corner. Fukui
offered nothing in defense as the Kofu attacker was well passed him at that point.
This late first half goal proved to be the catalyst that would propel Kofu past
FC Ryukyu.

Second Half

Kofu needed exactly 2 minutes to tie the match when their strategy for attacking the Ryukyu defense finally paid dividends. Kofu’s long ball approach was evident very early on and even an amateur manager could’ve seen what Kofu were trying to do and make the necessary adjustment. Instead, the 3^rd attempted long ball by Kofu found a wide open Yokatani while Fukui, who was desperate for an offsides call to bail him out of trouble, was caught out. The linesman was correct in that there was no offsides and rightly allowed the play to continue. While Ishii did well to get a hand to the shot, the shot itself was too powerful for Ishii to handle and the deflection curled into the back of the net for a 2-2 score line.

Ryukyu dodged a bullet in the 49^th minute when Utaka
was able to get past Masutani and then round Ishii for a free look on net in
the 6-yard box. Luckily for Ryukyu, Uesato was scurrying back to aide in
defense and he was able to dispossess Utaka right at the moment of truth. It
ended up turning out that Uesato’s defending was just delaying the inevitable
as Kofu went ahead in the 53^rd minute from a busted CK.

The CK was earned after the prior CK was defended by Ryukyu
but Masutani was caught out of position and allowed for a Kofu attacker to make
a penetrating run into the box that required another Uesato clearance. The second
corner was defended again but the clearance landed at the feet of a Kofu
attacker who sent a great cross into the box where Utaka delivered a bullet
header, low and hard, that Ishii probably could’ve done better at defending.
Regardless, Kofu were up 3-2 at this point and Ryukyu were reeling.

Kofu were able to put the match out of reach 3 minutes later when Masutani was pulled out of position by being forced to make an attempted heading clearance due to a cheap Nishioka giveaway near mid field. In this instance, Utaka was able to find a streaking Mori and deliver a nice pass that saw him slot a shot past the diving Ishii who was forced to come off his line in order to cut down the angle. Kofu were up 4-2 and they were cruising.

The remainder of the 2^nd half for FC Ryukyu was marred by bad passing and missed opportunities. Uejo came on for Ochi in the 62^nd minute but his contributions flashed high and wide. Kofu was then able to add a 5^th goal in the 6^th minute of stoppage time, as a very nice “up yours,” to push the score line to 5-2. More importantly, it put Ryukyu’s total goal difference for the year at 0 as they have now scored and conceded 27 goals. This is a huge deal for a side seeking to stay in the J2 next season as goal difference is the second determining factor for standings in the table. Final score, Kofu 5-2 over FC Ryukyu.

Man of the Match

Peter Utaka was a strong consideration since he netted once as well as provided an assist, but the man who put in the best shift yesterday was Shuto Kawai from FC Ryukyu. Kawai created all sorts of problems for the Kofu defense and he committed very little of the normal “Kawai errors” such as dribbling out of bounds or losing possession due to lack of bodily control.

For the day, Kawai created a total of 6 goal scoring
opportunities for Ryukyu. There were at least two instances where a Kofu
defender should’ve been shown a card, and on one in instance, a red card. On
that particular play, Kawai won the positional battle and was streaking past
the last Kofu defender when the Kofu defender put an arm out, grabbed Kawai and
then brought him down needlessly. This type of
“professional foul” is soon going to be awarded as a penalty kick in the
English Premier League and should’ve been a straight red card for the Kofu
player. That could’ve swung the momentum to Ryukyu by putting Kofu down to 10
men but instead it only resulted in a free kick that Ryukyu couldn’t convert.

So even though he didn’t score, Kawai created 6 goal scoring
opportunities, is credited with one assist, and was a difference maker for
Ryukyu. Kawai has more than earned his spot in the starting 11 of Ryukyu and it
will be interesting to see who he forces out of the lineup.  

Review of the FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

I understand the irony with the section title but we need to see what, if anything, Ryukyu did right or wrong each match.

1. Press the Kofu back line into making mistakes. FAIL. Ryukyu do not press back lines. Instead, they opt to send defenders into the attack and leave themselves exposed to counter attacks.

2. Know where all the Kofu attackers are at, at all times.
SPLIT Decision. One could argue that the Ryukyu defenders did know where the
Kofu attackers where at all times. They were either marked, early on, or they
were way past the defense or in better positions later in the match. More on
this later.

3. Attack the Kofu back line with quality crosses and
passes. FAIL and not even close. We cannot truly fault Fukui for his attempts
as he seems a better fit at CB, but Nishiokoa’s attempts should be considered
as borderline pathetic. Suzukui got absolutely zero service until the 82^nd
minute and that is inexcusable.

4. Mark Sato. PASS. Only because he didn’t do anything of
note outside of earning a yellow card.

Match Day 19 Takeaways

1. There is no excuse for surrendering 5, unanswered, goals
to a weakened Kofu side at home. Ryukyu defenders seem to be tired, lacking
pace to deal with the opposing attack and seem to be consumed with attacking more
than defending. Committing our Full Backs to the attack only weakens the already
fragile Ryukyu defense. FC Ryukyu’s season J2 hopes both lives and dies with our
defense and goal keeping.

2. Nishioka had plenty of opportunities to make plays but
missed far too often. Nishioka had no less than 6 instances of poor crosses or
bad plays. His crossing to Suzuki was way off and this was on a day when the
Kofu defenders allowed Nishioka space and time to make plays. He made poor
decisions in the attack and seemed to have no idea what to do when he was alone
down the right side. Some may argue that was because no other Ryukyu player was
making any runs and if that truly was the case, then he should have attempted to
crash the box and draw a foul or at the very least, a corner kick.  The 2 turnovers by Nishioka sprung the Kofu
attack loose and led directly to a goal by Kofu.

3. Masutani was caught out of position on a couple of occasions and some of those instances could be directly tied to Nishioka’s careless turnovers. Masutani has played every minute of every match this year and I truly don’t think Central Back is Masutani’s best position. I think he is better suited out wide as a full back as he is better at starting, and finishing plays, vice trying to defend them. In any case, the man needs some rest.

3. The passing that plagued Ryukyu versus Kyoto emerged once
again against Kofu. Unfortunately, it came at the worse time when Ryukyu were struggling
to get back in the match. Careless turnovers and needless passes ultimately doomed
the Ryukyu attack. This problem may exist all season.

4. The reserve players. Uejo came on and offered some
semblance of hope for the Ryukyu attack but I am unsure on how to judge Wada or
Gibo. Gibo maybe an interesting prospect but he was shifted to RB later on in
the match and I couldn’t get an accurate read on his skill set.

Conclusion

The streak is over and now it is time to move on. FC Ryukyu sit roughly 20 points from relative safety and will need to do all they can to avoid relegation. Home wins and draws will be key until this Ryukyu squad can muster a victory on the road. So let’s all spend a little time reflecting on the massive achievement for FC Ryukyu, as I intend to spend more time studying football in order to understand all the phenomena, but never forget, the near-term goal for FC Ryukyu is staying in the J2 for 2020.

Results from Around J2

Match Day 19 Preview: (H) FC Ryukyu versus Ventforet Kofu (A) at the
Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium, Kickoff at 1800, 6/22/2019.

Weather Forecast: Thunderstorms starting earlier in the day with scattered thunderstorms throughout the match. It will most likely be raining the whole time during the match so come prepared with ponchos, umbrellas, towels and bags to keep you items dry.

Intro

Kofu enter match day 19 after suffering a 2-0 loss at home to Tokyo Verdy. Kofu looked sluggish in that match and they rarely generated much going forward. FC Ryukyu, on the other hand, enter this match having come from behind twice to Kyoto on the road that saw Ryukyu earn a draw and return home with a point. I initially though this was going to be a very tough match-up for FC Ryukyu to walk away with any points, but the game footage for Kofu tells a different story.

Ventforet Kofu

Kofu come to Okinawa having won 3 out of their last five matches, in convincing fashion mind you, as well as earned a draw against Yamagata by coming from behind twice with one of those goals occurring very late in stoppage time. This team was firing on all cylinders prior to the Verdy match but since then, Kofu have suffered key injuries to their attacking front line.

Against Yamagata, Kofu had to sub off Dudu mid-way through the first
half due to what looks to be a dislocated shoulder or damage to one of the
ligaments. Dudu didn’t dress for the last match and I am not sure if he’ll be
healthy enough to face Ryukyu tomorrow. The following match against Verdy saw the
second strike partner up front, Soneda not even dress. That was massive as
Soneda and Dudu have accounted for 9 of Kofu’s 26 goals, roughly one third, and
pair nicely with Utaka up front. Their absence was very noticeable during the
Verdy match as the once potent attack of Kofu has stalled out.

There are basically 3 scenarios facing FC Ryukyu tomorrow. First, if Dudu and Soneda do not dress, then we can expect to see a similar performance against Verdy from Kofu. If either Dudu or Soneda dress, then we can expect a back and forth match and will need to pay very close attention to Utaka. Finally, if both play, then Ryukyu face an uphill battle as these players will be well rested and this is a team that scored 9 goals in the four games prior to the injures. If scenario number one holds true tomorrow, then FC Ryukyu stand a very good chance of taking all 3 points in the match since the Kofu defense is rather poor and they lack any real attack. If either of the last 2 scenarios comes to fruition tomorrow, then FC Ryukyu are in a real tough spot with injuries to Carvajal and Tokumoto, as well as the suspension for Tanaka.

Kofu Players to Watch

I have already mentioned what Dudu and Soneda bring to the table for
Kofu so let’s turn our attention to some other notable players in the Kofu
squad.

#9 FW Peter Utaka. Leading scorer for Kofu with 8 goals and 1 assist so far this season. He seems to have a penchant for scoring braces as he’s had 3 games this season with 2 goals. He can overpower weaker defenders and will punish any stupid mistakes by the defender during open field challenges for the ball or in 1v1 situations. FC Ryukyu need to know where Utaka is at all times when he is in the 18-yard box.

#18 FW Koichi Sato. Comes on a substitute for most matches but has
scored 4 times this season as a sub. More on that later. Can add some height to
the Kofu attack and there is an outside shot he starts tomorrow.

#14 MF Shigeru Yokotani. Plays a central/defensive mid fielder role for
Kofu and has 3 goals this season.

#39 DF Kenta Uchida. The defender has 3 assists on the season and can
take a nice free kick for Kofu. I don’t know if Uchida is also the corner kick
taker for Kofu but he can certainly deliver a nice ball into the box.

#26 MF Kazuhiro Sato & #28 MF Yuki Hashizumi. These two make the list as they are the replacements who have filled in for Dudu and Soneda the past 2 matches. Both have started 7 matches this year but do not offer the same upside to the attack that Dudu and Soneda do.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu are dealing with their own unique challenges this weekend so though it may seem they have the upper hand on paper, in reality, things are probably even between both sides. First, Tokumoto picked up a non-contact ankle injury last week against Kyoto that will see him miss 3-4 weeks. Second, Keita Tanaka will serve a 1 match suspension for the accumulation of yellow cards. This means FC Ryukyu will have to make 2 changes to a starting lineup that was starting to gel and get back to the scoring ways from earlier this season.

Tanaka will most likely be replaced by either Uejo, Kawai or Ochi but I am not sure who will feature on the bench for Ryukyu this week as I haven’t seen Koizumi’s name since Gifu. Tokumoto will be replaced by Fukui which means we will need to dress another defensive player this weekend. I appreciate that Fukui can play both in and outside defense but certainly FC Ryukyu has some real defensive depth issues if they are more willing to move both Fukui and Masutani to the FB position instead of leaving them inside and bringing up reserve FBs. I guess we will not only find out tomorrow but also during the Emperor’s Cup next month.

Aside from the unknown, Ryukyu are coming into the match having drawn twice, lost twice and won once in their last five matches. However, FC Ryukyu are a very difficult team to beat at home, as evidenced by the 30-game home unbeaten streak, and they just play better at the Tapista. Ryukyu’s last few home matches have seen them battle back against Kanazawa, overcome a late goal from Niigata to score one of their own to win and beat the number one team in J2 in Mito. This offers some hope going forward as Ryukyu is making life difficult for the visiting J2 sides.

Key Injuries or Suspensions

FC Ryukyu: MF Keita Tanaka (SUS), GK Danny Carvajal (INJ) & DF Shuhei
Tokumoto (INJ)

Ventforet Kofu: FW Dudu (INJ) & MF Yutaka Soneda (INJ)

FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1. Press the Kofu back-line into making mistakes. The Kofu defense is not that great and #22, Yuta Koieda, is a pretty bad CB. FC Ryukyu needs to press the Kofu back-line when they are in possession as they are very unsure of themselves and often make poor decisions that can lead to turnovers . With so much attacking power on Kofu they have yet to learn how to play the ball out from the back and Ryukyu should exploit this weakness. The horrible mistake by the defenders last week against Verdy led directly to Verdy’s second goal.

2.  Know where all the Kofu attackers are at, at all times, but especially when they are in or just outside the 18-yard box. The Kofu attackers have the uncanny ability to lose their markers at key times and then score goals. Ryukyu cannot afford to cede an otherwise easily defended goal to Kofu tomorrow. Kofu’s formation allows the squad to crash the box once they gain possession down either flank in the deep ends of the opposition which can then overwhelm the defense.  Uesato and Komatsu have to stay on top of this tactic and aide the Ryukyu back line.

3. Attack the Kofu back line with speed and misdirection passes. Koji Suzuki should have his way tomorrow with Kofu defenders so long as Ryukyu feed him quality passes. Kofu defenders don’t seem to mark well which means Ryukyu players should find plenty of space to maneuver inside the Kofu box. Kofu also doesn’t defend corners all that well so this is another opportunity for Ryukyu to get on the front foot.

4. Mark Koichi Sato in the final minutes of the match. Sato has scored an eye popping 4 stoppage time goals this season as a sub. He has earned 3 points for Kofu in those 4 matches since 3 of the games ended in draws. FC Ryukyu must maintain their focus at the end of the match and not allow Sato any time or space in the box.

Match Prediction

If this was the same Kofu squad
that was brushing aside opponents from earlier in the season than I would have
predicted a loss for FC Ryukyu. However, this is a weakened Kofu side that
comes into the match in poor form and lacking any real punch up front outside
of Utaka. Sound defending by Ryukyu coupled with a ruthless attack should see
Ryukyu prevail tomorrow. FC Ryukyu 2-1 Ventforet Kofu.

Conclusion

FC Ryukyu will once again be playing in less than optimal weather conditions this weekend. Thankfully Ryukyu are becoming accustomed to playing in such poor conditions as this will be at least their 6^th time this season that they have had to endure rain and wind in a match. That fact, along with Kofu’s injuries, recent poor form and not so great record for matches started in the evening hours, sets FC Ryukyu up nicely to grab all 3 points at home tomorrow and provide a massive boost to their point tally.

See you all out there tomorrow and
let’s do our best to stay dry.  Come on
Lads!

With all the recent news of FC Ryukyu applying for their J1 license, I thought it would be a great time to get some ideas out there for the new stadium. According to what I could find on the internet, FC Ryukyu had plans as early as 2017 to relocate to the Naha area of Okinawa and into a Football only stadium inside a much larger sports/recreational complex.  The stadium itself was supposed to be a “J1 ready,” 20,000 seat venue, at a cost of around 17 Billion Yen. It was (is?) to be called the Okutakeyama Park Athletics Stadium in Naha City and it was also planned to host Olympics and rugby in the Okinawa Prefecture with aims of opening in 2023.

Well there were some delays, mostly associated with funding, and that project was put on hold. But it is now once again in the forefront and gaining some serious momentum after last weeks revelation that the club will be applying for the J1 license. With that in mind, let’s look at some of those aspects that make a football stadium great with the hopes that this blog comes across the architects’ desk! (Probably not but we can try). I also must give a ton of credit to Mr. Tom Jones, not the singer, for outlining most of these points.

1. The Golden
Rule for all Football Stadiums: Get the Front Row of seats as close to the
pitch as possible.

I have been in several football stadiums here in Japan, in Korea, in Europe and of course in the U.S.A. for American Football. I have seen both the good and the bad for stadiums and the one thing I can honestly say that I don’t like about Jleague football is; that fans are too far from the pitch in too many of the venues and it decreases the overall atmosphere inside stadiums. The “Tapista,” where FC Ryukyu play is a perfect example. The views from the sections on either side are fine but the fans have a large track between them and the pitch. We are talking about distances of around 30-40 yards. A quick glance at the teams in the J League reveals that out of the 58 teams, J1-J3, 24 play in Football only stadiums (including the U-23 clubs in the J3). The J3 actually has more clubs playing in the football only stadiums, 8, compared to the J2 that has 6. I understand that there are challenges associated with costs to housing a J League team and I hope more clubs in the future will move into football only stadiums.

This year I was lucky enough to get to the FC Ryukyu match when they took on Omiya on the road and it has been one of my best experiences at a football stadium here in Japan. They got everything at the stadium right: Size, Proximity of seating to the Pitch, Large home supporter section at one end of the stadium, food vendors and restrooms. The Nack5 is a great stadium to watch football and would love a carbon copy of that here in Okinawa.

For the new stadium, I hope they recreate something close to the home supporter section at the Nack5 and closer to that of the “Kopp” at Liverpool as this would give F C Ryukyu a serious advantage when playing at home if we could get a section of 6-7,000 people all in one voice.  Because. let’s be honest for a moment, can a multi-sport stadium really generate a great atmosphere for football? In some cases it can, as evidenced by Kawasaki Frontale, but could you imagine if those supporters were closer to the pitch? Whoosh!

2. What are the ambitions
of F.C. Ryukyu?

Some might quickly say it is to get to the J1. I would counter, that it is wining titles and building a generational fan base. My father was an Arsenal fan and so are my brother and I and that is because at very young ages he took us to Highbury to experience matches and fall in love with the club. This means that my children will be FC Ryukyu fans as I will do all I can to expose them to the club as often as I can. That’s what FC Ryukyu need to be thinking about here in Okinawa. We’ve seen the challenges of getting 8,000 people to a FC Ryukyu match this season on regular basis, imagine the monumental effort to fill a 20,000-seat stadium for 21, 17 or 25 matches every year. The new stadium needs to build a tremendous atmosphere for all FC Ryukyu fans to connect and come together for the club they love.

Also, there will be costs that arise from nothing as well as those cost associated with the clubs plans so it will largely depend on what FC Ryukyu want to accomplish with the stadium but it is important to understand the best practice for building a stadium and more importantly, how to go beyond it. FC Ryukyu must be involved throughout the entire process so when costs and challenges do arise, they are able to meet them head on and make sound decisions that benefit the club and fan base. There is no “one-stadium-fits-them-all” approach so make this new stadium uniquely Okinawan.

3. Make sure it
has places for fans to gather both before the match and after.

Remember, FC
Ryukyu are attempting to build an “atmosphere” both inside and outside the
stadium. Considering the home supporters need to show up 3-4 hours prior to
kickoff to hang banners and flags, fans will start arriving at the stadium well
in advance of a match.

I’d love to see the new stadium have one of the following. A large open area at one of the corners of the stadium on the second or third level where fans could gather and watch the match together. The other would be a large sports bar inside the stadium with large screen TVs broadcasting the match. I’ve been to plenty of stadiums where this is the case and not every fan wishes to sit in their seat each match. Plus, you’d be able to sell tickets to either the seat or the special viewing areas.

Hopefully there will be a large enough parking area to do some tailgating but we’ll get to that in another section. After the match, it would be important not to push the fans out of the stadium if food, beverage and merchandise vendors are still open. If people need to exit the stadium, then hopefully there are some merchandise tents/shops outside the stadium as well as places to purchase food and beverages.

FC Ryukyu should take the steps now to track when fans start showing up to the Tapista. Break it down by arrival and departure times as well as by estimated numbers of people to get a better understanding of the venues to offer the fans.

4. Technology
will be key for the new stadium.

This goes without saying but the new stadium needs free WiFi. Second, the sound and lighting systems need to be of high quality and so does the scoreboard. If it is impossible to broadcast the match live outside on large screen TVs, then at least an audio broadcast of the match outside of the stadium should be there to drive interest for the passerby who doesn’t have a ticket to the match.

One radical idea, and I have no idea if it is possible, is to have seats that can change color to the opposing teams’ supporters in the opposition section. We all know that JLeague rules stipulates that there must be seats dedicated to the visiting team. Maybe it would give off the appearance of a “fuller” stadium if the seats could match the color of the Home Kit for the opposing team since that is the kit most fans purchase. Not sure that technology exists or the idea has been presented before but anything FC Ryukyu can do from that wild idea to putting a cell phone charging station in each seat would be revolutionary in my mind.

5. Make the Stadium uniquely Okinawa.

I am not sure what this would entail but I think it is important for the stadium to capture this element. It could mean local shops and businesses inside and outside the stadium selling local goods or it could mean the team has dedicated Eisa dancers at every match. Everything about that stadium should look, feel, sound, smell and taste like Okinawa and the Ryukyus.

6. Get the core
elements for the stadium right, the first time.

First, everything is based around the live experience of the football match itself. That begins with seating as close and as low to the action as possible. Second, make purchasing tickets easy. This includes both prior to and at the match in multiple languages with cashless ticketing purchase areas (and vendors). Having lived in Okinawa for the better part of 10 years I understand how all of Japan is a cash society, but there will be a large contingent of fans showing up to the stadium that are not used to this way of life, make sure there are ways to support them.

Third, make travel to the stadium as straightforward as possible. The new stadium is intended to be near the monorail and Route 58. Consider the traffic patterns both before and after the match and how the Japanese Prefecture Police can aide in getting the large number of fans out of the parking lot and onto the roads without huge traffic delays. The parking situation must be addressed as parking is a huge issue here in Okinawa. Where will the fans park and will these areas be accessible to daiko’s if fans have had too much to drink?

Fourth, make access to the stadium easier. Prevent long security lines at gates and have several entrances and exits. Fifth, have the best type of facilities in the Jleague. This includes everything from the restrooms, to the food vendors, merchandise vendors inside the stadium and the seating.

Finally, get it right the first time so as not to look back in regret or have to pay a larger cost because lack of foresight.

Conclusion

I have huge expectations for FC Ryukyu, their new stadium and the new proposed training ground. The actions by this club indicate a real desire and plan to achieve some lofty heights here in Japan as well as Asia. The club took the all important step forward last season by gaining promotion to the J2, it is now imperative they enact a sound business plan that sees this club rise into the ranks of the J1 and beyond. That plan can only begin with a brand new, state of the art stadium for FC Ryukyu that grows the fan base and increase revenue.

I don’t think I could’ve come up with a more befitting title for this match based on the following: 1. Kyoto’s kits are purple, 2. it was raining the whole match and 3. it is the birth month of Prince, who wrote this song. I am not a huge fan of Prince but things lined up perfectly for this catchy title for this particular blog entry.

FC Ryukyu earned a hard-fought point on Saturday night at the Kyoto Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium where they battled back twice from 1 goal deficits to tie the match. While the draw has ultimately dropped FC Ryukyu down to 10^th in the standings, the precious point is all that really matters at the end of the day.

Each team’s lineup remained unchanged from their previous matches with one exception. Kyoto put their best attacking players up front, Ishimi, Koyamatsu and Sento, to form more of a 3-4-3 formation. The move signaled to me that the manager, Ichizo Nakata, knows his side well and since this Kyoto side always starts matches very fast, he wanted to do everything he could to grab the early lead with hopes of piling on the goals later.

First Half

In the preview article I espoused that if FC Ryukyu wished
to walk away with any points, they needed to keep Kyoto off the score sheet in
the first half. Kyoto had 100% success rate (wins and draws) when they are the
first team to score in a match and that score occurs in the first half. Within
55 seconds Kyoto already had a shot on net and their second came 1 minute and
40 seconds later. Not the start that FC Ryukyu needed by any means. FC Ryukyu
were lucky to escape the early deficit when Isihimi’s shot hit the post in the
6^th minute. Things than began to get worse for Ryukyu when in the 7^th
minute, Fukui had to come on place of the injured Tokumoto for what looks to be
a non-contact injury to his lower left leg. It is possible he’ll miss some time
depending on the severity of the injury and it couldn’t come at a worse time
with Ryukyu having 8 matches over the next 6 weeks.

Kyoto had a ridiculous 77% possession rate compared to
Ryukyu’s 23% around the quarter mark of the match and Kyoto were dictating the
pace of play as well as creating all the chances on net. Ryukyu simply didn’t
have an answer to stop the Kyoto onslaught or enough possession to slow the
match down. Ryukyu’s best chance came in the 20^th minute when a ball
fell to Tanaka in the 18-yard box and unfortunately, he struck it with his left
foot and the shot went just wide of the net. Ryukyu then survived another scare
in the 25^th minute when a long through ball found a streaking Kyoto
player but luckily, Ishii and Okazaki were able to break up the cross. At the
30-minute mark, Kyoto were still enjoying a 75% possession rate and were
leading in the shot category, 5 to 1 over Ryukyu.

Near the end of the first half, a long pass by Okazaki to
Komatsu was quickly corralled by Sanga and they immediately sprung into a
counter attack. Masutani offered a half-hearted challenge on the on-rushing
Kyoto player and when Uesato was rushing back to aid in the defense, he
actually stopped the pass from Kyoto that was screeching across the top of our
box towards the right side. Unfortunately, Uesato’s deflection landed right at
the feet of Koyamatsu, who struck a nice shot past a diving Ishii for a 1-0 Kyoto
lead. I personally thought this goal was coming for a long time with the amount
of possession and opportunities Kyoto enjoyed up to this point but I also
thought that FC Ryukyu was going to hold Kyoto goalless heading into half time.

Kyoto had another two chances to double their lead in the 41^st and 44^th minute as they were finding it very easy to round our defenders and send crosses/shots into the box. Just when I thought all hope was lost with Ryukyu on pace for their 5^th consecutive road loss, Ryukyu caught a break. Ryukyu earned a free kick at the very end of the extra time in the first half and the initial shot by Okazaki was deflected and it found an unmarked Koji Suzuki alone at the edge of the goal. Suzuki delivered a header into the net that seemed to surprise, and disappoint, the Kyoto team. In only one instance, versus Mito, had Kyoto gone on to not win the match after scoring first in the first half and allowing the opponents to score in the first half as well. It was a massive shift in the probability projections for Ryukyu to earn a draw on the day. Basically, FC Ryukyu went from around 0.05% to 25% with that Suzuki goal. While that cannot be understated, it is more important to state what a goal means for both sides when it occurs at the very end of the first half. It was a confidence booster for Ryukyu while simultaneously letting the “wind out of the sails” for Kyoto. This was a massive goal for Ryukyu as well as Koji as it moved him into the top position in J2 with 12 goals scored this season.

Second Half

Ryukyu started the second half slowly after already
conceding 68% of the possession to Kyoto in the first half. Right away in the
46^th minute, Kyoto were awarded the FK after Masutani fell to the
ground from an attempted clearance. Now, Masutani was able to make the
clearance, but the resulting fall took him into the path of the Kyoto player
who was adjusting his run for the deflection. The Kyoto player ran into
Masutani, and actually gave him a nasty knock to the head, and the ref awarded
the FK. To be honest, Masutani had no idea where the Kyoto player was, didn’t
stick out an arm or attempt to interfere the player, it was just the natural
progression of the fall/slide that took him into the Kyoto players path. Yet
the referee’s vantage point was from behind and he couldn’t see all this play
out and deemed it to be an infraction and award a free kick.

An errant pass by Uesato lead to another Kyoto opportunity
in the 52^nd minute but Ishii did a tremendous job in stopping the
shot by Ishimi. Tanaka picked up a yellow card just prior to that play and was
ultimately subbed off for Kawai. Tanaka will miss the next match due to suspension
from his accumulation of yellow cards. Ryukyu’s defense was then ripped apart
in the 55^th minute and luckily the clearance by Ryukyu, that hit a
Kyoto player in the box, bounced off the side netting and didn’t make its way
into the back of the net. Kawai’s presence could already be felt stating in the
57^th minute as his runs seemed to surprise the Kyoto side as they
were fast, and straight at them and this was something Ryukyu were not doing up
to this point. I don’t think Kyoto were expecting this at all from Ryukyu and
they seemed more than willing to cede some acreage for Kawai to run into. At
the 64-minute mark, Ryukyu had ceded 3 more chances to Kyoto and they were only
able to muster one real chance but the game was about to be flipped on its
head.

Another errant pass led to another Kyoto counter attack that
ultimately resulted in a PK. Uesato’s challenge looked as if he got to the ball
before he brought the player down but there was one small problem, he did so by
going through the player legs from behind and that will always be called as a
foul anywhere on the pitch. Ishimi stepped up and delivered a nice strike
underneath the diving Ishii, who guessed correctly, but the shot had placement
and power and would be hard for most goalkeepers to stop.

In the 74^th minute Kawai drew a foul near the
edge of the 18-yard box but the resulting Tomidokoro strike sailed just a
little high over the bar. However, it would be the pace and tenacity of Kawai
that allowed FC Ryukyu to get back in the match when he slotted home a goal in
the 80^th minute.

Kawai made a great run down the left and found a streaking
Tomidokoro who executed a very nice back heel pass to the on-rushing Kawai. The
back-heel pass by Yu seemed to tee the ball up perfectly for Kawai and Kawai’s
strike went past the diving keeper of Kyoto and into the bottom right corner of
the goal.

Finally, Ryukyu sprung to life in the 80^th minute
of the match. A corner kick from Ryukyu found a wide open Uesato who struck
home a one timed volley but he was ruled offside. It was a harsh call in my
mind (obviously as a Ryukyu supporter) but that’s because the replay, and more
importantly the camera angle, couldn’t really show Uesato in an offside
position. That would’ve been a huge goal but nonetheless, Ryukyu really began
to trouble the Kyoto defense.

Ryukyu tried to see out the remainder of the match with some controlled possession but the accurate passing just wasn’t there today. This is most likely due to the little amount of possession they enjoyed. The last few seconds of the match were very frantic in that Ryukyu earned a corner; Uesato nearly scored from a header, had it been low it may have gone in, and the resulting Kyoto last surge counter was luckily thwarted by the scrambling Ryukyu defenders to earn the 1-1 draw.

Man of the Match

#30 DF Yosuke Ishibitsu, Kyoto Sanga F.C.

It was hard not to award the MOM to Kawai from FC Ryukyu for
his contributions, but Ishibitsu’s efforts really stood out and the man put in
a phenomenal shift for Kyoto. The veteran made life difficult for Tomidokoro in
the first half, so much so that Yu shifted from the left side to the right side
in the second half so as to completely avoid Ishibitsu. Ishibitsu won some free
kicks and delivered them with quality when called upon. I am jealous that this
man can play at such a high level at 35 years of age and would love to see him in
the Ryukyu back line even if it’s only for one season. I think one of the best examples
for why he deserves MOM was his ability to close down Tomidokoro in the 39^th
minute when Yu received a beautiful through pass that put him alone on net. The
veteran Ishibitsu had enough pace in him to recover and force Yu to change
direction which ultimately saw Yu lose possession and the Ryukyu attack fizzle
out. My tally on the day had Ishibitsu besting the Ryukyu attack and players
6-1. The man simply couldn’t be beaten in defense and he offered so much in the
attack for Kyoto. Well done sir.

Keys to Victory Review

A quick review of the key points I put forth in the match
day preview.

1. Prevent Kyoto from scoring in the first half. Ultimately
a failing mark as Kyoto did end up scoring in the first half, but Ryukyu put up
a good fight and recovered for a point.

2. Harass the Kyoto back line. Pass. Kawai’s substitution
proved the difference maker for Ryukyu and in all reality, it wasn’t until the
80^th minute that Ryukyu truly threatened the back line of Kyoto.

3. Score multiple goals and do not waste them in a loss.
Passed with flying colors. This match was only the second time in 12 weeks that
FC Ryukyu scored multiple goals in a match and the timing couldn’t have been
better. This attack needs to get going as we all miss the free scoring side
that can score 4, concede 3 and still end up on top. Patience is a virtue, I
guess.

Takeaways from Match Day 18

1. The Referee. Spoiler Alert, plenty of bias to follow. The
refereeing on Saturday was suspect. There were at least 3 bookable offenses by
Kyoto that were not carded and each of them either stopped a FC Ryukyu counter
attack or ended it altogether. That makes all of them bookable offenses in my
mind. If an unwritten rule in football exists about how many warnings a player
can receive before a booking, then I failed to see it yesterday. I say that
because Tanaka was carded for his first challenge, and rightly so, but his
offense was no different from the Kyoto players, yet none of the Sanga players
were carded until deep into stoppage time. The refereeing in J2, in my humble opinion
at least, is suspect at best; and to be honest, across Asia it isn’t that great
either. Many refs fall into that “Home Cooking” philosophy whereas they just
want to be liked by the home team’s supporters and get back to their vehicle
safely after a match.

2. While the possession disparity between both sides is enough to make you wonder as a Ryukyu fan if they were actually playing a J1 side like Kawasaki, FC Ryukyu did nothing to help themselves on Saturday with so many errant passes. As stated earlier, this is probably attributed to how little of the ball FC Ryukyu saw throughout the match as Kyoto had a 65% to 35% possession advantage but this will occur from time to time and FC Ryukyu need to be more clinical in possession. The misguided passes sent Kyoto on their way multiple times and lead to both of their goals. If FC Ryukyu passing was better on Saturday then maybe they could’ve won the match, but as a whole, the Ryukyu passing was deplorable. There are more of these types of matches ahead of Ryukyu this year and while the “bend, but don’t break” mentality on defense works from time to time, it requires the team to be precise and lethal in limited possession.

Conclusion

Well FC Ryukyu earned their first positive result in a road
match since the late equalizer by Uesato back in match day 9 against Tokyo
Verdy. This means that Ryukyu broke a 4-game losing streak on the road and it
also meant that Kyoto will remain winless in games started after 1800. FC
Ryukyu return home next week to face a very strong, recently defeated, 4^th
placed Ventforet Kofu side.

I hope the Okinawa faithful show up in full force for this match as it is another tough test for the Bengara boys to keep the home undefeated record intact as well some much-needed revenue before the transfer window opens up in July. Make no mistake, FC Ryukyu needs revenue – at least 8,000 fans per home match – as well as reinforcements. We don’t want to see Ryukyu become “sellers” in the transfer market next month. We want FC Ryukyu to be “buyers” because if not, this team may end up back in the J3. I know I always harp on the fact that FC Ryukyu haven’t earned, or possibly done, anything of note yet. Well, that is because it is so likely that recently promoted clubs are the ones relegated each season and I don’t want Ryukyu to be the first J3 side to achieve this dubious award. Staying power equals revenue and a chance at J1 football, that, is the mid and long-term goal for this club.

Match Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBZZ08x6QkA&feature=onebox

Match Day 18: (H) Kyoto Sanga F.C. vs. FC Ryukyu (A) at the Kyoto Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium, 6/15/2019 Kickoff at 1900.

Weather Forecast: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s for the match but it is expected to rain all day with thunderstorms starting around 1500 and expected to continue until 2200. Bring your rain jackets, poncho’s, umbrellas and towels as it is going to be nasty weather out there.  

Intro

Fresh off their draw with Kanazawa, FC Ryukyu travel to the Kansai area to take on a very powerful Kyoto Sanga side who are returning home after 2 weeks on the road. Sanga come into the match having been decisively beaten by Omiya Ardija but this is a team that swept the J2 League awards for May with Koyamatsu winning the best goal, Sento earning MVP honors and their manager, Nakata, rounding out the trifecta. More on them later. FC Ryukyu’s road struggles are well known at this point and with difficult matches over the next 2 months, any points FC Ryukyu can earn on the road must be viewed as a huge boost for their hopes at staying in the J2 next season.  let’s look at how the two teams stack up this season.

Interesting that Kyoto doesn’t score, or concede nearly as many goals at home as they do on the road. Kyoto’s record against teams in the top half of the table also offers a glimmer of hope for FC Ryukyu today.

Kyoto Sanga F.C.

Prior to the loss at Omiya, Sanga had won 4 times and drawn twice in their previous 6 matches. Over the course of the last 6 weeks, Sanga has scored 14 goals and conceded 8. Those numbers represent 60% of to the total amount of goals Sanga has scored on the season as well as 50% of the amount of goals they’ve conceded. If we look at the first 11 weeks of the season for Sanga, the stats tell a very different story. Sanga failed to score in 5 of the first 11 matches with 4 of those shutouts occurring at home. Despite the goal scoring drought, Sanga were still able to earn 4 wins, 3 draws and only suffer 3 losses in those 11 matches. All in all; it means that they weathered the rough storm during the early part of the season, accumulated some nice point tallies along the way, are wracking up the points with what looks to be a very potent attack, all at a crucial time of the season. Basically; they are peaking and present a formidable challenge for FC Ryukyu.

Over the course of the 4 Kyoto matches I viewed for this review; Sanga displayed a penchant for starting fast. For the entire season, Kyoto has scored 13 of their 23 goals in the first half. More importantly, they have conceded 10 of their 16 goals this season in the second half of matches. Furthermore, Sanga have only played 3 matches in which they scored in the first half yet failed to score in the second half and in those matches they have gone 1W1D1L. But it should be noted that they scored first in two of those games whereas against Omiya they did not. Bottom line, FC Ryukyu needs to do all they can to stop Kyoto from scoring in the first half, if they do, then FC Ryukyu have a great shot at earning a point on the day.

Kyoto Sanga Players to Watch

Sanga’s set up plays to the teams strength, which is attacking. The talent up front for Sanga is quite good and the partnering of Ichimi and Koyamatsu looks like one of the most lethal combinations in the J2.

#23 FW Kazunari Ichimi. I was surprised to learn that Ichimi
is only 5’10” (181cm) as he seems to play a lot “taller” than his height would indicate.
 He reminds me a lot of Olivier Giroud
from Chelsea in that he is really good at getting the positional advantage over
the defender and can get his foot to a ball and direct it into the back of the
net. Ichimi is the joint top scorer for Sanga with 5 goals and 2 assists.

#22 MF Tomoya Koyamatsu. The J2 League winner of the best goal of the month for May. This particular player is a one-man wrecking ball at times. I’ve seen him gain possession near or just behind the half way line and then make a very powerful run on net single handed and then score. He is very strong and has good pace which means he will be a huge challenge of any slower, weaker defenders. He isn’t afraid to take all of them on at once and Koyamatsu has 3 goals and 3 assists so far this season.

#14 MF Keiya Sento. Joint top scorer with 5 goals and 2 assists. Plays down the right, along with Miyayoshi and Ishibitsu to form a three headed monster in attack.

#13 FW Takumi Miyayoshi. 1 goal and 3 assists so far this season from a forward position but he can provide excellent service and set up play for Sento and Ichimi.

#30 DF (RB) Yosuke Ishibitsu. The 3^rd part to the
Kyoto attacking right side. Has 1 goal and 4 assists and that means he is
sending quality crosses into the box for the attacking players to get on the
other end of and score.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu were able to earn a draw at home this past weekend against a tough Kanazwa side. Ryukyu were without star goal keeper, Danny Carvajal, but Ishii’s performance was nothing short of excellent and he ultimately allowed FCR to claw back into the match and earn a point. The Ryukyu attack is still sputtering as they’ve only scored multiple goals in one match out of the past 11. This will be a very tough test for FC Ryukyu this week as they face a team that is firing on all cylinders and can light up the score board quickly. Keep in mind, FC Ryukyu have failed to earn a point on the road in the last 4 road matches and those were against teams not nearly as strong as Kyoto.

Keys to FC Ryukyu Victory

Kyoto Sanga represent the type of team FC Ryukyu aspires to be; they can make up for weak defending with a ruthless attack. There are small margins for success for FC Ryukyu this weekend as some of the statistics indicate, but FC Ryukyu are more likely to drop all the points if they concede early against Kyoto.

1. Prevent Kyoto from scoring a 1^st half goal. This is a large ask for the entire Ryukyu team but if they can do that, they have a great shot at earning a point on the day. Kyoto have failed to score in the first half in 7 games this season and in those seven matches, only twice did they score a second half goal. The results were 1W3D3L in those 7 matches for Kyoto. On the flip side, when Kyoto score first, and the goal occurs in the first half, they’ve gone on to earn 6 wins and 2 draws in 8 matches. As you can see, FCR must weather the fast start of Kyoto and prevent an early goal for any chance at positive points today.

2. Disrupt the back line of Kyoto. In the matches I watched, this seemed to be the Achilles Heel for Sanga. At times, the defenders lacked concentration, were out of position, would not mark the runs of attacking players and allow attacking players plenty of space to take shots on net in and around the box. Ryukyu will need some heroic efforts from Tanaka and Tomidokoro today if they are going to earn a good result. Ryukyu also needs to use their speed down the flanks to get around the back of the RB/LBs of Kyoto and have the remaining attacking players crash the box as this will confuse the central defenders on Sanga.

3. Score Goals. This is an obvious one but FC Ryukyu own a near even split when it comes to scoring and conceding in both halves. It has been a tale of 2 halves for FC Ryukyu this season and while it seems encouraging that they’ve been able to score 15 goals in the second half, they’ve also conceded 14. This lends credence to the first point that FC Ryukyu are more likely to earn a draw if they do not concede in the first half because they are also more likely to score late in matches. 2 goals would be great so long as they are not wasted in a losing effort. Quality shots on net from distance may prove to be the determining factor for FC Ryukyu today.

Match Prediction

This is one of the toughest road tests to date for FC Ryukyu. We haven’t faced an opponent on the road of this quality since Yamagata and therefore the likely outcome today is a Ryukyu loss. Using the “pain scale” you see at most doctor’s offices, I’ll put it to you like this. On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the most debilitating pain/result: 1. If Ryukyu lose by 3 goals or more it will be embarrassing, 2. A 2-0 defeat is a very likely outcome and no one would really think different of this since Ryukyu are less than 100% with a reserve keeper in net, 3. 2-1 defeat is a very respectable outcome against a superior opponent, 4. A draw in any form is pure gold and that point will prove valuable, and finally, 5. A win against Kyoto must be considered as the most important J2 victory to date for FC Ryukyu.

Match Predction: Kyoto Sanga 3-1 FC Ryukyu

Conclusion

There is one strange factor to consider in all of this; in the 2 games this season that Kyoto have played that have started after 1800, they are 0-2. Kyoto surrendered 4 goals in those competitions and only scored once. If you factor in the start time of 19:00, that Ryukyu play a majority of their matches at these start times and that this match could be played in sloppy conditions – a situation that Ryukyu has played in multiple times this season and most recently against Kanazawa – these could come together an equal a positive result for Ryukyu today. We will have to wait and see. Enjoy the match where ever you are at and see you soon.

Come on Lads, one time here!

On a day when the weather conditions were less than ideal, FC Ryukyu managed to keep their unbeaten streak alive and earn a valuable point that should keep them in the top half of the table at the weeks end. The real story of the night belongs to Ryo Ishii who filled in admirably for the injured Danny Carvajal. Ishii’s presence in goal was a real concern of mine heading into a very tough stretch of games and I must admit, I was wrong to judge him so quickly. Ishii’s efforts were the main reason FC Ryukyu earned 1 point on the day and prevented the unbeaten streak from being broken.

First Half

The first half started out very quickly for Kanazawa and they broke through early because of some rather poor defending on the part of FC Ryukyu. In the 6^th minute, Uesato was attempting to play the ball out from the back and though his pass found Komatsu, Komatsu took an errant touch and turned the ball over. The turnover really caught the FC Ryukyu defense in bad positioning as they were in the middle of transitioning into the attack. The worst part of the goal was Okazaki’s attempt at defending the on-rushing Kanazawa player. It seems as if Okazaki couldn’t decide how he wanted to attempt his clearance of the ball, and this probably led to some confusion on his part, which ultimately resulted in him bumbling over the ball -though he never really tracked the ball and was fixated on the Kanazawa attacker strangely enough, and this allowed the Kanazawa player a free shot on net. Taiki Kato slotted the opening goal past a diving Ishii and Masutani to put Kanazawa up 1-0.

In the 17^th minute, Kazama had a very nice attempt on net that was sent just wide by the outstretched arms of the Zweigen goal keeper. Shortly thereafter, Ishii was called into action once more as the Ryukyu defense broke down and Kanazawa had yet another free look on net. Ishii chested the shot down and quickly scooped up the rebound thus ending the Zweigen opportunity. Tanka had an absolute gifted chance in the 22^nd minute that was saved by the Kanazawa keeper to keep Ryukyu off the scoreboard. I hope these “near misses” that Ryukyu are currently experiencing at the moment will turn into goals. We are going to need some of these to start finding the back of the net the next 2 months. Ryukyu nearly tied the game heading into half time when a shot from Okazaki off a corner kick landed directly at the feet of Suzuki. The resulting shot from Suzuki was saved and the rebound fell right to Masutani who unfortunately sent the third shot high over the bar. Ryukyu would be kept off the score sheet at the half despite several good chances.

Second Half

Zweigen started the second half quickly and had two chances to increase their lead in the 49^th and 55^th minute. Each attempt saw a break down in defending by Ryukyu that left Ishii extremely exposed. FC Ryukyu were lucky that Kanazawa sent the shots wide or things would’ve ended very differently that night for Ryukyu. Finally, in the 69^th minute, Suzuki would level the match and put Ryukyu on the front foot for the first time all game.

Suzuki was able to slip past his marker and found some wide-open territory between the Zweigen defenders and then sent his shot around the Zweigen goalie for his J2 league leading 11^th goal of the season. It was a very nice take from the seasoned veteran and it is a shame that FC Ryukyu doesn’t have someone who can provide Suzukui the constant service a top-class striker deserves. Ryukyu’s only other chance of note came in the 77^th minute went Uejo sent a shot just over the crossbar. The game would end 1-1 and the unbeaten streak would be pushed to 30.

FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory Review

I put forth 3 keys to victory for FC Ryukyu in the preview
article so let us review: 1. Do not allow Zweigen Kanazawa to expose Ishii at
the back, 2. Do not allow Zweigen to gain any momentum and finally, 3. Exploit
Zweigen’s defense on set pieces.  

1. FC Ryukyu absolutely exposed Ishii at the back on multiple occasions and Ryukyu were extremely lucky to earn a draw. The defending on the part of Ryukyu that night was woeful.  Zweigen were constantly getting through the middle of our defense and they were also able overpower and round Tokumoto and Nishioka. Hopefully Okazaki just had one of those “brain farts” when he allowed the Zweigen player in on net and this doesn’t become a trend. However, what is a trend is the poor defending by Ryukyu this season. It just goes to show you how good Danny Carvajal, and now Ishii, are at the back as well as how vital these 2 keepers are to the Ryukyu season. The defending issues need to be addressed both on the training ground and in the transfer window this summer. Ryukyu cannot expect to play on the razors edge all year and come out on top. Result: Fail

2. Zweigen began to generate momentum early in both halves but
Ryukyu did well to slow them down and prevent them from grabbing a larger lead.
Granted, Zweigen had not scored in 3 games leading up to this match but we
fully expected them to score against Ryukyu. That statement could be tied directly
to the first point I made in this section. Ryukyu wobbled for a bit early in
the second half but it wasn’t to the extent we’ve seen them lose concentration in
the past. Luckily Zweigen missed those opportunities and Ryukyu recovered
nicely. Result: Pass

3. Ryukyu had a golden opportunity near the end of the match to take the lead on a corner kick but unfortunately, Ryukyu’s Uehara was not match fit and therefore we couldn’t get the advantage over Zweigen. I mentioned in the preview that Zweigen would be without their starting LCB and it was crucial for Ryukyu to exploit the new defensive pairing for Zweigen. They did, but it took them until the 69^th minute when the Zweigen defender came out too far and the resulting turnover to Ryukyu found Suzuki onside and alone at the top of the box. Result: Pass

Man of the Match

Ryo Ishii. It couldn’t be anyone else on the day despite the lovely goal by Suzukui. Ishii was an unknown commodity heading into this important match up and he really rose to the occasion. He made an absolute stunning save on a set piece that made it over the top of the wall and on net. Some could argue that it was the perfect height for the keeper to save but Ishii still did well to get to the shot and push it away from danger.

I mentioned earlier that he also kept Ryukyu in the match when they were down 1-0 when Zweigen had their second free look on net and Ishii did well to stop the original shot and collect the resulting rebound. There are some aspects of his game that I am sure will tighten up with time and experience and I am not going to nitpick a tremendous performance by Ishii that directly led to the favorable outcome for Ryukyu.

Looking Ahead

FC Ryukyu are on the road next week to take on 5^th
place Kyoto Sanga. Kyoto are coming off a 3-1 loss to Omiya on the road and are
returning home after spending the last two weeks on the road. The games are
going to get a lot tougher for FC Ryukyu the remainder of this month and therefore
any points earned on the road should be considered a blessing.

Match Day 17 Information: (H) FC Ryukyu versus Zweigen Kanazawa (A) at the Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium 06/08/2019, Kickoff 19:30

Weather Forecast: Wet and Windy. This game will be played in less than ideal conditions with rain starting earlier in the day and continuing through the match. Bring rain jackets, towels to wipe the seats and an umbrella.

Match Day 17 sees FC Ryukyu attempting to push their unbeaten streak at home to 30 while taking on 8^th placed Zweigen Kanazawa. The last time these two faced each other was during the inaugural J3 season in 2014 when Zweigen won the league and was the first ever J3 side to be promoted to the J2. Ryukyu enters this match fresh off a 2-1 loss on the road to Yokohama FC that saw them lose Danny Carvajal to a sprained foot that will sideline the Costa Rican goalkeeper for at least a month. Kanazawa drew 0-0 against Tokushima Vortis at home and are looking very eager to end the Ryukyu run of unbeaten games this Saturday. One bit of good news for FC Ryukyu is that this match should see the return of Okazaki at Center Back and provide some leadership and skill to cover the new FC Ryukyu goal keeper, Ishii.

Zweigen Kanazawa

The 4 matches I reviewed for this preview for Kanazawa included tilts against FC Gifu, Nagasaki, Yamagata and Tokushima.  Against Gifu Kanazawa were able to grab a late winner after Gifu clawed back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the match. Kanazawa then went scoreless against their next three opponents and ended up losing one of those matches at home to Nagasaki to round out the 4 games with one win, two draws and a loss. Despite the fact that Kanazawa have scored 21 goals so far this season, 12 of those goals occurred within 3 matches and they have also been held scoreless 5 times. 3 of their scoreless games have occurred during the past 3 weeks leading up to this match versus FC Ryukyu and may very likely come to an end with the change at GK for Ryukyu and the overall approach to defending by FC Ryukyu.

Kanazawa Players to Watch

Kanazawa have 4 players that have scored 3 goals so far this season with a majority of their goals coming from the strikers. There was not many highlights to watch in the 4 games so I am forced to make judgments on what players to watch based on the stat sheet.

#13 FW Ryuhei Oshi. 3 goals and 1 assist this season. Against Gifu he made a very nice play on a ball that was heading out of bounds and sent a dangerous cross into the box that nearly was directed into the back of the net. Likely that Oshi plays on the Left side behind the two strikers in the 4-4-2 formation.

#11 MF Kyohei Sugiura. 3 goals and 2 assists. Despite being
listed as a MF on the JLEAGUE website, he plays up front in a forward position
for Kanazawa.

#22 FW Giovanni Clunie. 3 goals and 2 assists. The Costa Rican striker has not featured in a match since week 12 against Fukuoka and is strangely not listed on the Japanese website I use to track injuries. He is a tall 6’3” (193cm) striker that would most likely give Okazaki, Masutani and Fukui fits at the back so I hope he doesn’t feature for Kanazawa this weekend as it looks like the goal less drought by Kanazawa has coincided with Clunie’s absence from the lineup.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu face a stiff test this week as they look to increase their unbeaten run at home to 30. They will need to do so without the services of one of the team’s MVPs this season, Danny Carvajal. This means that FC Ryukyu will turn to Ryo Ishii to man the net during Danny’s absence and that means that FC Ryukyu really need to tighten up defensively at the back. Ryukyu failed to do this in the last 25 minutes of the Yokohama match and allowed Yokohama to take advantage of our misfortune by grabbing two quick goals shortly after Danny’s substitution. It was a shame too as Suzukii added an absolute top-notch strike to put Ryukyu out in front and it looked as if Ryukyu were going to grab a second before the injury. Regardless, FC Ryukyu are going to need to do all they can to grab maximum points at home with their current road form.

FC Ryukyu have 13 home matches left this season and need approximately 20-23 points to reach relative safety outside of the relegation zone. With a total of 39 points up for grab at home, that means FCR can only afford to drop points in 6 of those matches, or about half the games remaining. 4 of these home matches will be against teams in the top 6 with some of the other matches against teams that have already beat FCR this season.

FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1.) Do not allow Zweigen Kanazawa to exploit Ishii at the back. FCR needs to adopt the mentality of “total team defending” for this match. I agree that it goes against the team’s current ethos of attack, attack, attack, but the FCR attack has gone limp for some time now and we are most likely going to need to grind out some low scoring matches. Total team defending will mean our attacking players, Tanaka and Tomidokoro, must commit more to helping out in defense by providing top cover to Tokumoto and Nishioka. Tokumoto and Nishoka must also track back quickly when there are changes in possession to clog the channels and reduce the amount of space that Zweigen attackers can run into and occupy. Finally, we will need to be able to get the ball back and quickly turn to the counter attack led by Suzuki and Kazama as they’ll be the only two who can push forward if the attacking mid fielders in Yu and Keita are helping out on defense.

2.) Do not allow Zweigen to gain any momentum. They either
score goals in bunches or simply cannot score.

3.) Exploit Zweigen’s defense on set pieces. One trend that emerged in the game film the past 4 matches for Kanazawa was the fact they concede a fair amount of opportunities and goals from set pieces, particularly corner kicks. While corner kicks are not the strong suit of the FC Ryukyu game, if FCR are able to earn enough of these set pieces, it is likely that FCR will score. It should also be noted that Kanazawa will be without the services of their starting LCB, #2 Yamamoto, who is out with a suspension. FCR should do all they can to exploit the new defensive pairing at the back for Kanazawa.

Match Prediction

2-2 Draw. FCR surrender goals too often and with a new goal
keeper it is likely that the defense exposes Ishii and he concedes. I also believe
FCR will score twice this week with the second goal leveling the match and
keeping the streak intact.

Conclusion

Ishii flashed some skill in the Yokohama match despite conceding two early goals. Those were not totally his fault as the team in front of him provided no real support. During that match he made, at least what looked to be, some pretty spectacular saves. This could mean he was either slightly out of position and had to make a dramatic play on the ball to make up for poor positioning or, Ishii is actually that good. We will find out this weekend.

See you all out there this Saturday and do your best to stay
dry in what could be a very wet, very sloppy affair at the Tapic Kenso Hiyagon
Stadium.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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

#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.

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!!!!!