Japanese Non-league Football News

第43回全国社会人サッカー選手権東海予選

Sat 30 Jun: Shizuoka FC 1-2 Maruyasu Industries
Sat 30 Jun: Fujieda Nelson 1-1 Ise Personna FC (PK 3-5)
Sat 30 Jun: FC Ogaki Kogans 0-0 TEPPEI (PK 4-1)
Sat 30 Jun: Fujieda City Hall 3-2 Toyota Football Group
Sat 30 Jun: MIE Rampole 7-0 Yamaha Motors
Sat 30 Jun: Kasugai Club 0-1 Yazaki Valente
Sat 30 Jun: Chukyo University 5-0 Toshiba Machine
Sat 30 Jun: Fuyo Club 3-0 Morishin's FC

Sun 01 Jul: Maruyasu Industries 2-1 Ise Personna FC
Sun 01 Jul: FC Ogaki Kogans 0-4 Fujieda City Hall
Sun 01 Jul: MIE Rampole 1-5 Yazaki Valente
Sun 01 Jul: Chukyo University 2-1 Fuyo Club

Maruyasu Industries, Fujieda City Hall, Yazaki Valente and Chukyo University therefore qualify for the finals in October in Oita.

第43回全国社会人サッカー選手権大会関東予選

Sun 01 Jul: YSCC 4-0 Kashiwa FC
Sun 01 Jul: Aries FC Tokyo 7-2 Kanagawa Teachers
Sun 01 Jul: Luminozo Sayama 2-0 Tokyo 23 SC
Sun 01 Jul: Sagami Osawa FC 0-3 Ome FC
Sun 01 Jul: Yaita SC 0-1 Sagawa Computer System
Sun 01 Jul: Aventura Saitama 3-0 Nirasaki Astros
Sun 01 Jul: Saitama SC 3-0 Koyu Club
Sun 01 Jul: Urawa Reds Amateur 0-0 Furukawa Electrics Chiba (PK 3-4)
Sun 01 Jul: Toshiba Fuchu 3-2 Tokai Atomic Energy Research Institute
Sun 01 Jul: Hanno Cebollitas 1-2 Hanno Bruder
Sun 01 Jul: Toho Titanium 0-2 Tonan SC Gunma
Sun 01 Jul: Yonoshukonkai 1-2 MSDF Atsugi Marcus
Sun 01 Jul: FC Machida Zelvia 9-0 Utsunomiya FC
Sun 01 Jul: Club Dragons 2-4 Hitachi Tochigi Uva

Sun 08 Jul: YSCC 4-1 Aries FC Tokyo
Sun 08 Jul: Luminozo Sayama 3-0 Ome FC
Sun 08 Jul: Sagawa Computer System 2-1 Aventura Saitama
Sun 08 Jul: Saitama SC 1-3 Furukawa Electrics Chiba
Sun 08 Jul: Toshiba Fuchu 1-0 Hanno Bruder
Sun 08 Jul: Tonan SC Gunma 1-0 MSDF Atsugi Marcus
Sun 08 Jul: FC Machida Zelvia 2-0 Hitachi Tochigi Uva

YSCC, Luminozo Sayama, Sagawa Computer System, Saitama SC, Toshiba Fuchu, Tonan SC Gunma and FC Machida Zelvia therefore qualify for the finals in Oita in October. All are members of the Kanto League apart from ambitious Gunma Prefectural League side Tonan and Sagawa Computer System, who compete in Division 3 of the Tokyo Prefectural League.

Some early news on the subject of this year's All-Japan Shakaijin tournament, which is essentially for non-league teams lower in the pyramid than the JFL, i.e. Regional and Prefectural League sides. The competition will this year be staged between Sat 13 and Wed 17 October and, as was the case in 2006, the winners will be eligible to participate into the end-of-season Regional League Championship Winners' Play-off to decide entry into the JFL itself.

If the winners of the Shakaijin have already gained entry to the Play-offs by virtue of having won their own Regional League, the Shakaijin runners-up will be invited to take their place. Indeed, this is exactly what happened last season, when Shizuoka FC from Tokai ended up in the Play-offs after Kyushu champions V Varen Nagasaki had carried off the Shakaijin title too; but this right will not be extended to the team finishing third in the Shakaijin.

You know you want to see it - the Shizuoka FC team bus

In the final of this year's All-Japan Shakaijin tournament in Akita on Wednesday, Kyushu League champions V Varen Nagasaki overcame Tokai Leaguers Shizuoka FC 1-0 to take the trophy. Despite the opposition having the better of play throughout most of the match, V Varen took their chance midway through the second half, when midfielder Wataru Tagami fired home from just outside the penalty area. Shizuoka came closest to an equaliser in injury time through Yu Kawamura, whose long range free-kick hit the bar. Disappointment for Shizuoka, certainly, but indications are that it is nevertheless becoming more and more likely that they will be awarded what amounts to a wildcard entry into the end-of-season Regional League Championship Winners' Play-off - and so their longer-term dream of promotion to the JFL is still alive.



Ooooh, the tension. It’s the pre-final ceremony

V Varen Nagasaki 1-0 Shizuoka FC

Favourites FC Gifu were squeezed out at the semi-final stage of the 2006 All-Japan Shakaijin tournament in Akita prefecture on Monday. Their match-up with V Varen Nagasaki was always likely to be the battle of the Regional League giants and the Kyushu League champions edged past their Tokai League counterparts via a penalty shoot-out, the two sides having been deadlocked at 1-1 after extra time. Ironically enough in tomorrow's final, V Varen will take on Gifu's own local rivals, Shizuoka FC, who overcame New Wave Kitakyushu 2-1 in the other semi-final - and with indications from the JFA being that the winner or finalist of this year's competition maybe granted a place in the Regional League Championship Winners' Play-off for a place in the JFL, this was without doubt the match of the year for Shizuoka.

FC Gifu 1-1 V Varen Nagasaki (PK 4-5)
New Wave Kitakyushu 1-2 Shizuoka FC