Nadeshiko League Exciting Series Fifth Round

Upper Section

Vegalta Sendai Ladies  2 - 1  Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies
(Attendance: 1,622)

Last year's champions Urawa looked good for a consolation win at the end of this season as they led Vegalta Sendai from the twenty-fourth minute, Kira Chinatsu with her seventh goal of the season putting the visitors ahead. Sendai didn't equalise until there were only sixteen minutes left, captain Kakazu Asuka shooting home well. Sendai needed to win to finish second and piled on the pressure and deep into additional time Inoue Ayaka scored the vital goal, which coupled with a Niigata loss, means that Sendai finish in their highest ever league position. Urawa finish sixth.

Vegalta Sendai Ladies:
Takenaka Rei, Sakai Yuki, Yamamoto Risa, Chiba Kozue, Takara Ryoko, Kakazu Asuka (capt), Sasaki Mayu, Kawamura Yuri, Nakano Manami, Inoue Ayaka, Arimachi Saori
Subs: Tahara Nozomi (Sasaki Mayu, 36 mins), Sasaki Miwa (Kakazu Asuka, 82 mins), Ono Hitomi (Arimachi Saori, 89 mins)
Unused subs: Saito Ayaka, Ideue Asako, Yasumoto Sawako, Hamada Haruka
Scorers: Kakazu Asuka (74 mins), Inoue Ayaka (90+3 mins)

Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies:
Ikeda Sakiko, Norimatsu Ruka, Osafune Kana, Kohata Shiho, Usui Rie, Shibata Hanae, Kishikawa Natsuki, Kurishima Akari, Naomoto Hikaru, Kira Chinatsu, Goto Michi (capt)
Subs: Kato Chika (Kishikawa Natsuki, 77 mins), Shiraki Akari (Goto Michi, 87 mins)
Unused subs: Hirao Chika, Ishii Saki, Suzuki Rina, Chiba Minori, Wada Naoko
Scorers: Kira Chinatsu (24 mins)


JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies  1 - 0  Albirex Niigata Ladies
(Attendance: 432)

JEF United had their lowest attendance of the season on the final day, with most fans electing to watch their men's team, who were playing at the same time. Niigata arrived looking for a win which would see an improvement from last year's third place finish to second place, their highest ever. In a game of very few chances, especially for the visitors, it only took one goal to decide it, Kawamura Mari scoring off a Sugasawa header. This was JEF United's first win of the Exciting Series, and they finish the season in fifth. Niigata dropped to fourth.

JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies:
Yamane Erina, Wakabayashi Minori, Sakuramoto Naoko (capt), Isokane Midori, Ueno Saki, Hosaka Nodoka, Setoguchi Kozue, Kawamura Mari, Fukasawa Risa, Ikadai Risa, Sugasawa Yuika
Subs: Kamogawa Miho (Ikadai Risa, HT), Anzai Yuka (Hosaka Nodoka, 79 mins), Yanai Rina (Fukasawa Risa, 90+1 mins)
Unused subs: Nemoto Mio, Chino Shoko, Nishikawa Ayaka, Ozawa Hiro
Scorers: Kawamura Mari (61 mins)
Booked: Sugasawa Yuika

Albirex Niigata Ladies:
Fukumura Kanae, Kojima Miku, Kitahara Kana, Nakamura Kaede, Watanabe Ayaka, Sakaguchi Moeno, Yamada Shoko, Saeki Aya, Kamionobe Megumi (capt), Yamazaki Marumi, Oishi Sayaka
Subs: Hirai Sakina (Oishi Sayaka, 79 mins), Takamura Chisato (Saeki Aya, 82 mins), Saito Yuri (Sakaguchi Moeno, 89 mins)
Unused subs: Koganemaru Sachie, Yamamoto Arina, Takahashi Haruka, Kubota Mayu
Booked: Nakamura Kaede


Nippon TV Beleza  0 - 0  INAC Kobe Leonessa
(Attendance: 1,532)

On a wet day in Hiratsuka Beleza found it difficult to get their passing game going the way they would like it and although they had by far the majority of the chances and of the attempts on goal, they had to settle for a draw against INAC Kobe, who only really threatened when they got the ball forward quickly. Ohno Shinobu had a goal ruled out for offside in the second half which was the closest either side came to a goal. Beleza win the league by four points from Sendai; this draw moved Kobe up to third place.

Nippon TV Beleza:
Soyama Kanako, Shimizu Risa, Iwashimizu Azusa (capt), Muramatsu Tomoko, Ariyoshi Saori, Hara Natsuko, Sakaguchi Mizuho, Nakasato Yu, Uetsuji Yumi, Hasegawa Yui, Tanaka Mina
Subs: Sumida Rin (Uetsuji Yumi, HT), Arakawa Eriko (Nakasato Yu, 79 mins)
Unused subs: Yamashita Ayaka, Doko Mayo, Kiryu Nanase, Kinoshita Shiori, Shimada Chiaki

INAC Kobe Leonessa:
Kaihori Ayumi, Kinga Yukari, Kai Junko, Tanaka Asuna, Sameshima Aya, Kawasumi Nahomi, Ito Miki, Sawa Homare, Nakajima Emi, Takase Megumi (capt), Masuya Rika
Subs: Ohno Shinobu (Masuya Rika, 55 mins), Ito Kanako (Ito Miki, 77 mins), Jang Selgi (Takase Megumi, 84 mins)
Unused subs: Shibusawa Anna, Miyake Shiori, Michigami Ayaka
Booked: Kinga Yukari, Ohno Shinobu


Lower Section

The Lower Section games in the Fifth Round were played on November 3rd.

Iga FC Kunoichi  3 - 1  Okayama Yunogo Belle
(Attendance: 947)

For the second season in a row goals from an American loanee have saved Iga FC Kunoichi from relegation, though this year the will not suffer the worry of a relegation playoff. Meleana Shim's first two goals for Iga came in the opening twenty-three minutes, and Sugita Ami's sixth of the season two minutes later gave Okayama Yunogo Belle no chance of coming back. Their American loanee, Elizabeth Eddy, scored once just after the hour mark and was the mostly likely to score again, but Belle will have to beat Saitama on the final day to ensure that they do not have to endure a playoff. Iga play Takatsuki.

Iga FC Kunoichi:
Kuno Fubuki, Michikura Hiroko, Miyasako Tamami, Nasu Maiko (capt), Hatanaka Miyuka, Haji Madoka, Sugita Ami, Suzuki Kaoruko, Matsunaga Yoshie, Meleana Shim, Ogawa Shiho
Subs: Noichi Aya (Meleana Shim, 77 mins), Gloria Douglas (Matsunaga Yoshie, 88 mins)
Unused subs: Isashi Kaede, Kobayashi Misaki, Matsunaga Tomoe, Kiyohara Marie, Sonomura Nana
Scorers: Meleana Shim (16, 23 mins), Sugita Ami (25 mins)

Okayama Yunogo Belle:
Fukumoto Miho (capt), Nakajima Chihiro, Kado Yuka, Takahashi Sachie, Mizushima Kumi, Kobayashi Makiko, Kuzuma Riyo, Miyama Aya, Elizabeth Eddy, Takahashi Chiho, Matsuoka Miki
Subs: Asano Miki (Takahashi Chiho, 59 mins), Hosokawa Motoyo (Mizushima Kumi, 82 mins)
Unused subs: Mita Isayo, Hashimoto Shoko, Sakuma Kotori, Kishino Sana, Tanaka Mayu
Scorers: Elizabeth Eddy (61 mins)
Booked: Matsuoka Miki


Speranza FC Osaka Takatsuki  2 - 1  AS Elfen Saitama
(Attendance: 622)

Takatsuki's two big-name players came up with the goods today, turning around a one-goal deficit to win the game and leave Saitama in trouble at the bottom. The visitors got off to the perfect start, with their best player Azami Rie scoring her eighth goal this year, a total higher than that of all of her team mates combined. That was as good as it got for Saitama though, as Takatsuki took control of the match and began to create chances. Maruyama Karina had a quiet Regular Series but her second goal in the Exciting Series leveled the math after fifty-six minutes and eleven minutes later Narumiya Yui, the team's top scorer this year, put the hosts ahead with her fifth goal of the season.

Saitama will finish bottom and be relegated if they cannot win away against Okayama Yunogo Belle on Sunday, and even then they are relying on Iga beating Takatsuki. At the very least they will face a relegation playoff. To escape a playoff Takatsuki must beat Iga and also require Belle to lose to Saitama. As things stand they will most likely face a playoff.

Speranza FC Osaka Takatsuki:
Ono Maya, Tsuboi Ayako, Sato Kaede, Takeda Arisa, Akiba Yumeko, Hazuki Yuki, Narumiya Yui, Torao Naomi (capt), Saito Toshiko, Honda Saki, Maruyama Karina
Subs: Yoshimura Midori (Saito Toshiko, 56 mins), Kitagawa Wakana (Honda Saki, 76 mins), Enya Mari (Hazuki Yuki, 89 mins)
Unused subs: Ueno Yukiko, Hayashi Momo, Hirano Satoko, Takahashi Saki
Scorers: Maruyama Karina (56 mins), Narumiya Yui (67 mins)

AS Elfen Saitama:
Funada Mayu, Matsukubo Akari, Matsuoka Sayuri, Abby Erceg, Nara Misaki, Anna Green, Azami Rie (capt), Takano Saki, Nakano Rino, Akitaya Misato, Takahashi Saori
Subs: Sarah Gregorius (Akitaya Misato, 31 mins), Hagiwara Aimi (Nakano Rino, 70 mins), Kitano Rie (Takahashi Saori, 75 mins)
Unused subs: Sakuragi Ayana, Segi Aiki, Sugihara Haruna
Scorers: Azami Rie (14 mins)
Booked: Takano Saki