Challenge League Eleventh Round

Vegalta Sendai open four point gap at top

Nittaidai Football Club Ladies  0 - 2  Vegalta Sendai Ladies
(Attendance: 500)

Nittaidai welcomed their largest crowd of the season for the visit of Vegalta Sendai, indeed the attendance of 500 was not far from Nittaidai's total attendance record for their previous five home games combined of 572. Sendai took the lead mid-way through the first half. Kakazu found Ito Minako and her header on to Ono was headed in for a goal which will surely have relaxed the division leaders. In the 74th minute the travelling players and supporters could relax even more when Sakai Yuki headed in from a Koyama corner.

With FC Takahashi not playing, Vegalta Sendai now have a four point gap with both sides having played eleven games, half the season's total. With ten wins and one draw - that against local rivals Tokiwagi whom they play at the end of the month - Sendai must now be extremely confident of promotion to the top division come November. Nittaidai stay third, seven points behind the leaders.

Nittaidai Football Club Ladies:
Yamamoto Arisa, Sakurai Mayuka, Yamana Maki, Nagashima Hikari, Fujisawa Marin, Oguri Mao, Kitano Rie, Ishii Chiharu, Ito Yukina, Shimada Chiaki (capt), Uemura Shoko
Subs: Abe Rie (Ito Yukina, 67 mins), Kudo Asami (Uemura Shoko, 75 mins)
Unused subs: Aoyagi Maririn, Ozeki Miyu

Vegalta Sendai Ladies:
Saita Yuki, Nakamura Mami, Sakai Yuki, Osafune Kana, Ideue Asako, Shimokozuru Aya (capt), Uetsuji Yumi, Kakazu Asuka, Ono Hitomi, Nakahara Saori, Ito Minako
Subs: Yasumoto Sawako (Nakahara Saori, 57 mins), Takahashi Nana (Uetsuji Yumi, 62 mins), Koyama Kie (Ono Hitomi, 69 mins), Yamamoto Risa (Shimokozuru Aya, 74 mins)
Unused subs: Saito Ayaka
Scorers: Ono Hitomi (20 mins), Sakai Yuki (74 mins)


Sfida Setagaya FC  8 - 1  Japan Soccer College Ladies
(Attendance: 219)

JSCL's woes continued as they were comprehensively beaten by a Sfida Setagaya team looking for a decisive victory following their own heavy defeat to Vegalta Sendai last weekend. By the 62nd minute Setagaya had built a six goal lead, with goals from Tanaka Mariko, Tanaka Marina, two from Mori Hitomi, Oshima Sayuri, and Uchiyama Tomoka. JSCL got a goal back through Iwasaki in her first start since the opening game. Tanaka Marina scored her second from the penalty spot on 85 minutes, and Ishibuchi finished the scoring two minutes later. That was Ishibuchi's eighth of the season, one behind top scorer Mori.

Setagaya are fifth, one point behind Tokiwagi, while JSCL stay bottom with little prospect of improvement in the second half of the season.

Sfida Setagaya FC:
Kawaguchi Mana, Nagasawa Yume, Kawashima Tamai, Tanaka Marina (capt), Fukuhara Nao, Oshima Sayuri, Tanaka Mariko, Mori Hitomi, Minemoto Chizuru, Ishibuchi Yuki, Sasago Masae
Subs: Muramatsu Yuki (Kawaguchi Mana, HT), Nagata Maya (Nagasawa Yume, HT), Uchiyama Tomoka (Sasago Masae, HT), Nakaoka Momoko (Tanaka Mariko, 57 mins), Usuda Haruka (Oshima Sayuri, 65 mins)
Scorers: Tanaka Mariko (5 mins), Tanaka Marina (35, 85 mins, pen), Mori Hitomi (38, 41 mins), Oshima Sayuri (39 mins), Uchiyama Tomoka (62 mins), Ishibuchi Yuki (87 mins)

Japan Soccer College Ladies:
Fukada Ayami, Usui Rika, Hayashimoto Saki, Takahashi Sakura, Shinagawa Ayaka, Toriumi Mai (capt), Sasaki Shiori, Sakaguchi Yuki, Shanou Miki, Nakayama Aoi, Iwasaki Manami
Subs: Goto Sanae (Shinagawa Ayaka, 53 mins), Matsumoto Hotaru (Nakayama Aoi, 67 mins), Komatsu Akane (Fukada Ayami, 82 mins)
Unused subs: Hayakawa Kumiko, Toyota Yuri
Scorers: Iwasaki Manami (66 mins)
Booked: Usui Rika


AC Nagano Parceiro Ladies  2 - 3  Je Vrille Kagoshima
(Attendance: 172)

Nagano lost to fellow strugglers Kagoshima today in a tight result which belied how much more possession and chances Kagoshima had compared to their hosts. Kagoshima took the lead in the ninth minute when Niiho Madoka struck right-footed for her second this season. After the ball was poorly cleared by Nagano in the 26th minute, Sannomiya also scored right-footed for her second of the season.

Approaching half-time Nagano suddenly found themselves back in the game. In the 40th and 41st minutes they struck through Hashiura and Urasaki - both their side's top scorers this season - to strike panic in the Kagoshima ranks. The home side's elation was only to last momentarily though, as Imanaka Yuri popped up with a headed goal which would ultimately prove to be the winner. Like her side's other two scorers, it was her second of the season, a nice reward for three players all of whom have started every game this season.

Nagano remain on five points from their eleven games, while Kagoshima remain ninth, a point behind Ehime.

AC Nagano Parceiro Ladies:
Matsumoto Azumi, Sayama Marina, Takagi Nao (capt), Yamashita Mayumi, Kitagawa Minamo, Urasaki Yuka, Murayama Yuri, Satou Kaede, Hamagaki Kana, Uchiyama Tomoyo, Hashiura Satsuki
Subs: Hanabusa Misa (Hamagaki Kana, 85 mins)
Unused subs: Tanaka Nami
Scorers: Hashiura Satsuki (40 mins), Urasaki Yuka (41 mins)
Booked: Kitagawa Minamo

Je Vrille Kagoshima:
Eguchi Mika, Miyazako Fumika, Nijima Yuki, Kurahara Honami, Nakae Maki (capt), Shimada Naoko, Nozaki Ayumi, Niiho Madoka, Sannomiya Shiki, Imanaka Yuri, Nakashima Ayaka
Subs: Hamada Erina (Nijima Yuki, 55 mins), Moriwaki Satsuki (Sannomiya Shiki, 74 mins)
Unused subs: Mitsudome Kanami
Scorers: Niiho Madoka (9 mins), Sannomiya Shiki (26 mins), Imanaka Yuri (42 mins)
Booked: Shimada Naoko