Nadeshiko League Division 1 Tenth Round

Albirex Niigata Ladies  1 - 2  Vegalta Sendai Ladies
(Attendance: 1,004)

Vegalta Sendai's second win over Niigata this season keeps them in good stead in the top three as they try to banish the disappointment of last year's failure to make the top six. Niigata native Kawamura Yuri headed in the opener for Sendai, though this was quickly replied to by Saeki Aya, today making her 100th league appearance. Six minutes into the second half Sendai retook the lead, Arimachi Saori scoring her second goal for her new club this season. Sendai host Iga on Friday, with Niigata travelling to Okayama to play Belle.

Albirex Niigata Ladies:
Ichitani Tomoko, Sayama Momoko, Kitahara Kana, Yamamoto Arina, Watanabe Ayaka, Saito Yuri, Yamada Shoko, Saeki Aya, Kamionobe Megumi (capt), Obara Yuria, Oishi Sayaka
Subs: Sakaguchi Moeno (Yamada Shoko, 72 mins), Yamazaki Marumi (Oishi Sayaka, 72 mins), Kojima Miku (Saeki Aya, 84 mins)
Unused subs: Koganemaru Sachie, Nakamura Kaede, Takahashi Haruka, Kubota Mayu
Scorers: Saeki Aya (25 mins)
Booked: Obara Yuria

Vegalta Sendai Ladies:
Takenaka Rei, Sakai Yuki, Yamamoto Risa, Takahashi Nana, Takara Ryoko, Kakazu Asuka (capt), Sasaki Mayu, Kawamura Yuri, Nakano Manami, Inoue Ayaka, Arimachi Saori
Subs: Hamada Haruka (Inoue Ayaka, HT), Ono Hitomi (Hamada Haruka, 52 mins), Yasumoto Sawako (Arimachi Saori, 90+3 mins)
Unused subs: Saito Ayaka, Sasaki Miwa
Scorers: Kawamura Yuri (19 mins), Arimachi Saori (51 mins)


Okayama Yunogo Belle  2 - 2  INAC Kobe Leonessa
(Attendance: 4,998)

Title favourites INAC Kobe must have felt that they had done all that was needed to beat Belle in front of this season's largest crowd so far when Masuya Rika rounded Fukumoto to score their second goal after seventy-seven minutes, but Belle were not so quick to lay down. Takase Megumi had broken the Belle defence at the end of the first half, her third goal in only three appearances this year owing to injury. The Belle fightback started with nine minutes remaining, Takahashi Chiho scoring her first goal for her new club having been started up front by new temporary coach Sakurai Shogo. The second came just three minutes later, Miyama Aya easily dispossessing Tanaka Asuna, who had just come on a few seconds earlier, to score a fine, calmly-taken goal.

A welcome point for Belle, who nevertheless remain in the bottom three and who next play Niigata at home. INAC Kobe host Takatsuki, though the game may be postponed depending on weather conditions.

Okayama Yunogo Belle:
Fukumoto Miho (capt), Nakajima Chihiro, Kado Yuka, Takahashi Sachie, Mizushima Kumi, Asano Miki, Okubo Mai, Miyama Aya, Kobayashi Makiko, Takahashi Chiho, Matsuoka Miki
Subs: Hosokawa Motoyo (Kobayashi Makiko, 75 mins), Kuzuma Riyo (Okubo Mai, 77 mins), Kishino Sana (Asano Miki, 86 mins)
Unused subs: Aoyagi Maririn, Taniguchi Kikumi, Kawano Saki, Tanaka Mayu
Scorers: Takahashi Chiho (81 mins), Miyama Aya (84 mins)

INAC Kobe Leonessa:
Kaihori Ayumi, Kinga Yukari, Kai Junko, Miyake Shiori, Sameshima Aya, Kawasumi Nahomi, Ito Kanako, Ito Miki, Kyokawa Mai, Takase Megumi, Ohno Shinobu (capt)
Subs: Masuya Rika (Takase Megumi, HT), Sugita Hina (Kawasumi Nahomi, 70 mins), Tanaka Asuna (Ohno Shinobu, 83 mins)
Unused subs: Shibusawa Anna, Minamiyama Chiaki, Nakajima Emi, Nakada Ayu
Scorers: Takase Megumi (44 mins), Masuya Rika (78 mins)


Iga FC Kunoichi  1 - 0  Speranza FC Osaka Takatsuki
(Attendance: 607)

Iga dominated their visitors from start to finish but it wasn't until four minutes before the end that they got their reward, a first goal of the season from Sugita Ami to claim all three points and move the Mie side into seventh place. Iga are just one point behind Urawa in fifth but with goals so hard to come by - they have only scored five in ten games - survival in the Exciting Series may be the limit of their ambitions this season. Takatsuki are bottom and look the most likely to be relegated even with just over half the season played. Iga next play Sendai, Takatsuki go to Kobe with the possibility that their game will be postponed due to a typhoon.

Iga FC Kunoichi:
Isashi Kaede, Miyasako Tamami, Ohashi Mio, Hatanaka Miyuka, Nasu Maiko (capt), Suzuki Kaoruko, Noichi Aya, Sugita Ami, Haji Madoka, Sonomura Nana, Gloria Douglas
Subs: Matsunaga Tomoe (Noichi Aya, 60 mins), Matsunaga Yoshie (Suzuki Kaoruko, 74 mins), Shimojo Aya (Sonomura Nana, 84 mins)
Unused subs: Kuno Fubuki, Michikura Hiroko, Molly Menchel, Kiyohara Marie
Scorers: Sugita Ami (86 mins)

Speranza FC Osaka Takatsuki:
Ueno Yukiko, Tsuboi Ayako, Sato Kaede, Takeda Arisa, Akiba Yumeko, Narumiya Yui, Torao Naomi (capt), Hazuki Yuki, Takahashi Saki, Shimamura Yuko, Maruyama Karina
Subs: Kitagawa Wakana (Takahashi Saki, 56 mins), Enya Mari (Shimamura Yuko, 59 mins), Fujino Suzuka (Hazuki Yuki, 88 mins)
Unused subs: Yamamoto Maho, Sakumoto Fumika
Booked: Kitagawa Wakana


Nippon TV Beleza  1 - 0  AS Elfen Saitama
(Attendance: 1,503)

Beleza beat Saitama by just one goal in Ibaraki but on the balance of play deserved to win by quite a few. The only goal came after thirty-two minutes, Hara Natsuko scoring her first of the season. Saitama remain ninth and their main goal for now is to pick up points where they can before the Exciting Series. Beleza go top of Division One, one point ahead of INAC Kobe. They play JEF United in Chiba on Friday.

Nippon TV Beleza:
Yamashita Ayaka, Shimizu Risa, Doko Mayo, Muramatsu Tomoko, Ariyoshi Saori (capt), Hara Natsuko, Uetsuji Yumi, Sumida Rin, Sakaguchi Mizuho, Hasegawa Yui, Tanaka Mina
Subs: Momiki Yuka (Uetsuji Yumi, HT)
Unused subs: Soyama Kanako, Nakasato Yu, Kinoshita Shiori, Kiryu Nanase
Scorers: Hara Natsuko (32 mins)

AS Elfen Saitama:
Funada Mayu, Akitaya Misato, Matsuoka Sayuri, Nara Misaki, Utsumi Yui, Otani Erina, Azami Rie (capt), Takano Saki, Nakano Rino, Sugihara Haruna, Takahashi Saori
Subs: Sarah Gregorius (Sugihara Haruna, 60 mins), Shimokawa Saori (Otani Erina, 86 mins)
Unused subs: Sakuragi Ayana, Matsukubo Akari, Segi Aiki


Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies  0 - 1  JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies
(Attendance: 2,279)

The gap between the top four and the bottom six grew larger today with this victory for fourth-placed JEF United over fifth-placed Urawa. The only goal was scored seven minutes from the end of the first half by Sugasawa Yuika, Division One's top scorer running riot through the Urawa defence throughout the game. In two Kanto derbies on Friday, JEF United play Belza at home, with Urawa away to Saitama. Urawa need things to start going their way if they are to have any hope of retaining the title.

Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies:
Hirao Chika, Wada Naoko, Chiba Minori, Kohata Shiho, Kitagawa Hikaru, Shibata Hanae, Naomoto Hikaru, Kishikawa Natsuki, Kira Chinatsu, Seike Kiko, Goto Michi (capt)
Subs: Nagano Fuka (Chiba Minori, HT), Kato Chika (Kira Chinatsu, 64 mins), Ishii Saki (Wada Naoko, 84 mins)
Unused subs: Ikeda Sakiko, Usui Rie, Kurishima Akari, Shiraki Akari
Booked: Kishikawa Natsuki

JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies:
Yamane Erina, Chino Shoko, Sakuramoto Naoko (capt), Isokane Midori, Ueno Saki, Hosaka Nodoka, Setoguchi Kozue, Kawamura Mari, Fukasawa Risa, Ikadai Risa, Sugasawa Yuika
Subs: Kamogawa Miho (Ikadai Risa, 60 mins), Wakabayashi Minori (Hosaka Nodoka, 83 mins), Yanai Rina (Setoguchi Kozue, 90 mins)
Unused subs: Nemoto Mio, Tsurumi Ayaka, Anzai Yuka, Shimada Ayako
Scorers: Sugasawa Yuika (38 mins)