Please note that the Japanese names in these posts are written in Japanese order, i.e. Family Name followed by Given Name

Sunday, 26 April 2015

Challenge League Fourth Round

Yokohama FC Seagulls 2 - 0 Tsukuba FC Ladies
(Attendance: 250)

Tsukuba were extremely disappointing in this fixture, and having started the season well, are now slipping down the table.  Yokohama weren't particularly accurate in their shooting, but they did enough to win their second game of the season and thus move into second.  Ishihara Ami scored her first ever league goal in the first half, with Tanaka Yui scoring her second in two games to make sure of all three points six minutes into the second half. 

Bunnys finally won their first game of the season today, and did so in front of a relatively large crowd of over five hundred people.  Bunnys' lead goal scored by Yoshizawa Ai was equalised by Kato Ibuki, scoring her first ever league goal direct from a corner kick.  After halftime Bunnys managed to pull away, veterans Kushige Aoi and Matsuda Nozomi with the goals that put Bunnys fourth in the table, one point and one position behind Nagoya. 

Kumamoto's woes on their return to the league continue, as they stay bottom with no points and no goals to their name.  Shizuoka had very little to do to win this game, an early strike from Kanno Mie all that was needed.  Shizuoka lie second, five points behind leaders Cerezo Osaka Sakai.  Kumamoto are four points adrift at the bottom. 

Cerezo Osaka Sakai kept up their 100% record with this fine win over the JFA Academy, who have yet to get going this season.  Takarada Saori headed in a Hayashi Honoka corner after fifteen minutes for the only goal of the game as the home side keep a commanding lead in the division.  The JFA Academy, from whom three players are going on loan to Nadeshiko League Division 1 sides, are currently down in fifth. 

This game was closer than the scoreline suggests, though Yamato won't mind how close the NUHW were on the field.  A three-goal home win puts them third, four points ahead of today's rivals, who stay bottom.  Yamazaki Yuki, who played for Nittaidai in these parts, scored the opener and Ishibuchi Yuki, formerly of the JSC, scored a second from the spot after thirty minutes.  Very shortly after the second half restart Naito Yuka scored her first goal in league football to end the visitors' hopes of taking anything from this game. 

Norddea's first home game in the Challenge League since 2011 ended in disappointment as Tokiwagi Gakuen showed their class again today in winning their third consecutive victory.  Indeed victory for the schoolgirls looked likely as early as the sixth minute when Kobayashi Rikako gave them the lead from the penalty spot.  That was Kobayashi's fourth goal of the season, and Kuratani Narumi scored her third of the season just after half-time to double the lead.  Ichise Nana, Kobayashi's U-17 World Cup winning partner, scored the third with just under thirty minutes to go.  Norddea drop to fifth, five points behind Tokiwagi Gakuen who stay top.