Nadeshiko League Fourth Round

JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies  1 - 2  Albirex Niigata Ladies
(Attendance: 978)

JEF United made one change to their starting lineup with Hosaka Nodoka, who scored against Kibi last week, coming in for Anzai Yuka. Niigata made two changes, new recruit Sayama Momoko coming into defence replacing Kitahara Kana and forward Hirai Sakina replacing Oishi Sayaka up front.

Niigata had only one chance in the first half, but they took it and went into the break in the lead. Hirai headed down to Yamazaki in midfield and she returned the pass and Hirai was very confident in finishing past Yamane who had come out to the edge of her box to attempt to block.

Niigata went two goals up on sixty-nine minutes, with Kamionobe Megumi their heroine again. With the free kick to be taken from out on the right wing, Yamane and her defenders assumed that Kamionobe would swing the ball in for her teammates to attack, but instead she went directly for goal and with Yamane slow to react the ball found the back of the net to give the visitors another goal against the run of play.

JEF United did get one goal back to set up an exciting finish, Sugasawa Yuika with her fourth of the season, running with determination through the Niigata defence to score.

Niigata held on, and move onto seven points, with JEF United a point behind. Niigata are next at home to leaders Urawa, JEF are away to champions INAC Kobe.

JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies:
Yamane Erina, Wakabayashi Minori, Chino Shoko, Sakuramoto Naoko (capt), Ueno Saki, Setoguchi Kozue, Kawamura Mari, Ikadai Risa, Hosaka Nodoka, Fukasawa Risa, Sugasawa Yuika
Subs: Anzai Yuka (Hosaka Nodoka, HT), Kamogawa Miho (Ikadai Risa, 71 mins)
Unused subs: Nemoto Mio, Tsurumi Ayaka, Matsuura Nagisa, Shimada Ayako, Yasuda Saki
Scorers: Sugasawa Yuika (75 mins)
Booked: Kawamura Mari

Albirex Niigata Ladies:
Ichitani Tomoko, Takamura Chisato, Yamamoto Arina, Sayama Momoko, Obara Yuria, Kamionobe Megumi (capt), Saito Yuri, Saeki Aya, Yamazaki Marumi, Kodama Keiko, Hirai Sakina
Subs: Takahashi Haruka (Kodama Keiko, 59 mins), Sakaguchi Moeno (Saeki Aya, 66 mins)
Unused subs: Fukumura Kanae, Kojima Miku, Yamada Shoko, Oishi Sayaka
Scorers: Hirai Sakina (29 mins), Kamionobe Megumi (69 mins)
Booked: Hirai Sakina


Okayama Yunogo Belle  1 - 1  INAC Kobe Leonessa
(Attendance: 2,415)

Okayama Yunogo Belle were one of the two sides which beat INAC Kobe last season and had high hopes of a repeat at home today, but it was INAC who took the early lead, with Takase supplying Kyokawa Mai in the third minute. The Belle players appealed for offside but didn't get it and Kyokawa couldn't miss from in front of goal, with Takase doing all the work down the left.

In a very even game Belle eventually equalised twenty minutes into the second half, Arimachi Saori latching onto a Miyama pass through the middle, with both players showing exceptional skill.

Belle are fifth in the table, two places and three points ahead of INAC Kobe, and travel to Tokyo next week to take on Beleza. INAC Kobe are at home to JEF United, who have had a very up and down season already.

Okayama Yunogo Belle:
Fukumoto Miho (capt), Kado Yuka, Hosokawa Motoyo, Fushiki Kaho, Mizushima Kumi, Kuzuma Riyo, Nakano Manami, Miyama Aya, Asano Miki, Arimachi Saori, Matsuoka Miki
Subs: Nakada Maiko (Asano Miki, 84 mins)
Unused subs: Hayashizaki Mei, Taniguchi Kikumi, Kawano Saki, Tanaka Mayu, Kitaura Miho
Scorers: Arimachi Saori (66 mins)
Booked: Hosokawa Motoyo

INAC Kobe Leonessa:
Kaihori Ayumi, Noguchi Ayaka, Kai Junko, Miyake Shiori, Watanabe Ayaka, Minamiyama Chiaki, Masuya Rika, Nakajima Emi, Kyokawa Mai, Takase Megumi (capt), Tanaka Yoko
Subs: Isokane Midori (Watanabe Ayaka, 62 mins), Ito Miki (Tanaka Yoko, 62 mins), Nakada Ayu (Masuya Rika, 81 mins)
Unused subs: Takenaka Rei, Yamada Maho
Scorers: Kyokawa Mai (3 mins)
Booked: Watanabe Ayaka


Vegalta Sendai Ladies  1 - 0  AS Elfen Saitama
(Attendance: 1,252)

Vegalta Sendai had to work very hard to overcome an extremely limited Saitama side which had made four changes to their starting lineup to that which was torn apart by Urawa.

Fan favourite and outstanding midfielder Uetsuji Yumi scored the only goal of the game after seventy minutes, capitalising on Saitama's inability to clear the ball from their box effectively.

Sendai move up to second, three points behind Urawa with Saitama third from bottom, having conceded twelve goals, the highest in the division. Sendai are away to bottom side Kibi next weekend expecting to continue their upward course. Saitama are at home to Iga, one place below them.

Vegalta Sendai Ladies:
Saita Yuki (capt), Yamamoto Risa, Osafune Kana, Takahashi Nana, Hamada Haruka, Tahara Nozomi, Kawamura Yuri, Uetsuji Yumi, Yasumoto Sawako, Takara Ryoko, Ono Hitomi
Subs: Kakazu Asuka (Yasumoto Sawako, 55 mins), Inoue Ayaka (Tahara Nozomi, 69 mins), Kawashima Haruna (Takara Ryoko, 80 mins)
Unused subs: Saito Ayaka, Sakai Yuki, Sasaki Mayu, Ideue Asako
Scorers: Uetsuji Yumi (70 mins)

AS Elfen Saitama:
Yamago Nozomi (capt), Nara Misaki, Utsumi Yui, Takeda Arisa, Takeyama Yuko, Sugiyama Takako, Ito Kanako, Hagiwara Aimi, Nakano Rino, Azami Rie, Yamazaki Sayuri
Subs: Saito Yuri (Nakano Rino, 60 mins), Takahashi Kaho (Yamazaki Sayuri, 83 mins)
Unused subs: Funada Mayu, Saito Natsumi, Uchida Saki
Booked: Nakano Rino, Hagiwara Aimi


Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies  3 - 0  FC Kibikokusaidaigaku Charme
(Attendance: 1,440)

Urawa were too strong for FC Kibi today, for whom relegation is looking more likely with each passing game. Having defended quite well in the opening stages, Kibi fell behind to a Shibata Hanae goal, as she produced a fine dribbling run through the Kibi defence to score after twenty-one minutes. Worse was to follow for the visitors as Goto Michi, banned for last week's game, drifting in unmarked to head in a Usui Rie cross to make it 2-0 before the half-hour mark.

Kibi were making little headway at the other end and by halftime any hope of a comeback looked distant. In the 67th minute Takahashi Chiho gave away her second penalty kick in two games, with Kato Chika scoring the third and final goal from the spot.

Kibi next take on Vegalta Sendai at home hoping for at least a repeat of last year's fixture in which they claimed a point. Leaders Urawa travel to Niigata hoping to maintain their remarkable 100% record.

Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies:
Ikeda Sakiko, Dozono Ayano, Norimatsu Ruka, Kohata Shiho, Usui Rie, Shibata Hanae, Naomoto Hikaru, Fujita Nozomi, Kato Chika, Kira Chinatsu, Goto Michi (capt)
Subs: Saito Akane (Usui Rie, HT), Otaki Ami (Kira Chinatsu, 78 mins), Kurishima Akari (Kato Chika, 85 mins)
Unused subs: Hirao Chika, Sakamoto Riho, Kishikawa Natsuki, Seike Kiko
Scorers: Shibata Hanae (21 mins), Goto Michi (30 mins), Kato Chika (67 mins, pen)

FC Kibikokusaidaigaku Charme:
Morimoto Kiyo, Muramatsu Mafuyu, Takahashi Chiho (capt), Eguchi Mika, Yoshitake Manami, Takano Saki, Takatsuka Ayane, Oka Misako, Kurakazu Shiho, Hamamoto Marin, Nishikawa Asuka
Subs: Tachibana Mami (Takatsuka Ayane, 59 mins), Noma Fumika (Yoshitake Manami, 66 mins), Tajima Mitsuyo (Oka Misako, 80 mins)
Unused subs: Isashi Kaede, Miyake Ayumi, Nakai Yuna, Kanbara Misaki
Booked: Takahashi Chiho


Iga FC Kunoichi  1 - 1  Nippon TV Beleza
(Attendance: 580)

Iga picked up their first point of the season, but will have been unhappy not to take all three as they allowed Beleza back into the game. Iga made three changes, bringing in goalkeeper Sawada Norimi, Tsutsumi Saki and Ogawa Shiho. Beleza's only change was to bring in U-17 World Cup star Hasegawa Yui for her first start in place of Nakasato Yu.

It was Tsutsumi who opened the scoring in this match, Ogawa heading the ball down to Tsutsumi who juggled the ball before firing an unstoppable shot into the top right hand corner of the goal.

Beleza are made of stern stuff, none more so than Sakaguchi Mizuho, and she scored her third of the season to equalise, with Sawada unable to claim the ball when it was knocked in from a corner kick by Momiki Yuka.

So having had a point snatched away at the death last week by Belle, Iga were denied two by a late goal from Beleza. They next travel to Saitama expecting better against the league's most porous defence. Beleza are at home to Belle.

Iga FC Kunoichi:
Sawada Norimi, Miyasako Tamami, Michikura Hiroko, Ohashi Mio, Yamaguchi Ayako, Nasu Maiko (capt), Matsunaga Tomoe, Kobayashi Makiko, Tsutsumi Saki, Matsunaga Yoshie, Ogawa Shiho
Subs: Noichi Aya (Matsunaga Yoshie, 74 mins), Sugita Ami (Tsutsumi Saki, 84 mins)
Unused subs: Kuno Fubuki, Sato Ai, Kiyohara Marie, Sakumoto Fumika, Haji Madoka
Scorers: Tsutsumi Saki (19 mins)
Booked: Michikura Hiroko

Nippon TV Beleza:
Soyama Kanako, Takahashi Saori, Doko Mayo, Iwashimizu Azusa (capt), Ariyoshi Saori, Sakaguchi Mizuho, Hara Natsuko, Sumida Rin, Hasegawa Yui, Tanaka Mina, Momiki Yuka
Subs: Shimizu Risa (Takahashi Saori, HT), Kobayashi Miharu (Hasegawa Yui, 76 mins)
Unused subs: Yamashita Ayaka, Nakasato Yu, Kobayashi Yayoi
Scorers: Sakaguchi Mizuho (76 mins)