Japanese Non-league Football News

Division 2(N) and Division 2(S) of the Tohoku League is getting underway now, with several matches taking place over the weekend. In the northern section, Mizusawa United Club overcame Aster Aomori 3-0 in the opening game of the season for both sides. Most teams in the southern division, meanwhile, have two matches under their belts, Marisol Matsushima and Northern Peaks Koriyama having won both. Of the newly promoted teams, Shichigahama SC are mid-table following their defeat by Northern Peaks, but FC Perada Fukushima have yet to pick up a point and are bottom of the division at this early stage.



An action shot from Northern Peaks against Shichigahama

Division 2(N)

Sunday 7th May: Mizusawa United Club 3-0 Aster Aomori

Division 2(S)

Sunday 7th May: Marisol Matsushima 2-1 Kureha Chemicals
Sunday 7th May: Furukawa Battery 2-0 FC Perada Fukushima
Sunday 7th May: Northern Peaks Koriyama 2-1 Shichigahama SC

1 Marisol Matsushima 6 (+4)
2 Northern Peaks Koriyama 6 (+2)
3 Furukawa Battery 3 (+2)
4 Shichigahama SC 3 (-)
5 Kureha Chemicals 0 (-2)
6 Kanai Club 0 (-3)
7 FC perada Fukushima 0 (-3)

There's an astonishing gap emerging between the top and bottom halves of the Shikoku League with nine points already between Sanyo Electric Tokushima in fourth and Sanwa Club just a place behind them. And what this means is that any slip is potentially magnified many times over when it comes to the league standings, as Sanyo discovered when a disappointing 0-0 draw at Alex SC meant they dropped two places. Nangoku Kochi's 8-1 thrashing of Ventana AC has pushed the title holders up to second on goal difference, with Ehime Shimanami third. Still in the lead, however, and now with twelve points out of twelve, are Kagawa prefecture's Kamatamare Sanuki, who put five without reply past Tokushima Vortis Amateur - and who host Nangoku next weekend.



Yohei Ueta gets in a header for Nangoku Kochi against Ventana AC

Sun 07 May: Ales SC 0-0 Sanyo Electric Tokushima
Sun 07 May: Kamatamare Sanuki 5-0 Tokushima Vortis Amateur
Sun 07 May: Nangoku Kochi 8-1 Ventana AC
Sun 07 May: Sanwa Club 1-2 Ehime Shimanami

1 Kamatamare Sanuki 12 (+12)
2 Nangoku Kochi 10 (+10)
3 Ehime Shimanami 10 (+9)
4 Sanyo Electric Tokushima 10 (+6)
5 Sanwa Club 1 (-5)
6 Alex SC 1 (-7)
7 Tokushima Vortis Amateur 1 (-9)
8 Ventana AC 0 (-16)

Division 1 of the Kanto League has an unexpected look to it four matches into the new season, as the previously underachieving Yaita SC head the ranking thanks to a 2-0 win over the far more established Saitama SC. A point behind them are newly-promoted Toshiba Fuchu, 3-0 winners over Toho Titanium - and in third spot now are the Yokohama Sports and Culture Club, conquerors of reignin champions Luminozo Sayama, who are having a truly disastrous season with just a single win to their name so far.



Yaita SC, early Kanto League front-runners

Sunday 7th May: Hanno Bruder 1-0 MSDF Atsugi Marcus
Sunday 7th May: Toshiba Fuchu 3-0 Toho Titanium
Sunday 7th May: Yaita SC 2-0 Saitama SC
Sunday 7th May: YSCC 2-1 Luminozo Sayama

1 Yaita SC 10 (+5)
2 Toshiba Fuchu 9 (+4)
3 YSCC 7 (+3)
4 Hanno Bruder 4 (-1)
5 Luminozo Sayama 4 (-1)
6 Saitama SC 4 (-2)
7 Toho Titanium 4 (-4)
8 MSDF Atsugi Marcus 3 (-4)



YSCC defend against Luminozo Sayama

The Hokushinetsu League Division 2 is proving a particularly tight contest this year and in round 4 on Sunday, all but one of the games ended in a draw. Valiente Toyama were the lucky exceptions, 3-2 winners at Maruoka Phoenix and consequently just one point off the lead. FC Kanazu and TOP Niigata remain undefeated, while Nissei Resin are searching for their first win of the season.

Sunday 7th May: FC Kanazu 2-2 TOP Niigata
Sunday 7th May: LionPower Komatsu 3-3 Toyama Shinjo Club
Sunday 7th May: Maruoka Phoenix 2-3 Valiente Toyama
Sunday 7th May: Nissei Resin 1-1 FC Antelope

1 FC Kanazu 8 (+6)
2 TOP Niigata 8 (+4)
3 Valiente Toyama 7 (+1)
4 Maruoka Phoenix 6 (-)
5 LionPower Komatsu 5 (-)
6 FC Antelope 4 (-3)
7 Toyama Shinjo Club 4 (-5)
8 Nissei Resin 1 (-3)

One of the most fiercely-contested Regional Leagues is in Hokushinetsu, where Japan Soccer College clung on to top spot in Division One with an injury time equaliser in the eagerly-awaited match-up with Matsumoto Yamaga Club. But there are as many as five reasonably realistic title contenders, as Nagano Elsa have recovered from their early season jitters - evidenced by their 7-0 win at Teihens FC - Zweigen Kanazawa scraped a 1-0 victory over Niigata University of Management and even Fervorosa are still in touch. This is definitely one to keep an eye on.



Fervorosa fans at Ueda Gentian

Sunday 7th May: Matsumoto Yamaga Club 1-1 Japan Soccer College
Sunday 7th May: Niigata University of Management 0-1 Zweigen Kanazawa
Sunday 7th May: Teihens FC 0-7 Nagano Elsa
Sunday 7th May: Ueda Gentian 0-3 Fervorosa

1 Japan Soccer College 10 (+20)
2 Matsumoto Yamaga Club 10 (+6)
3 Nagano Elsa 9 (+16)
4 Zweigen Kanazawa 9 (+14)
5 Fervorosa 7 (+4)
6 Teihens FC 1 (-23)
7 Niigata University of Management 0 (-18)
8 Ueda Gentian 0 (-19)



Zweigen Kanazawa defend a Niigata University of Management free kick

Newly-promoted hopefuls FC Central Chugoku destroyed Chugoku League rivals Fagiano Okayama 5-0 in the most sensational result of the Regional League seasons so far on Sunday, at a stroke casting serious doubt over the viability of Fagiano as promotion contenders and candidates for the JFL. At the top of the division two rounds in are nevertheless experienced outfit Hiroshima Fujita SC , although their 1-0 win over the smalltown Iwami SC means that they have played two of the weaker sides in the league thus far. In second place after a 4-1 thrashing of Renofa Yamaguchi are last year's champions Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku - and indeed it is Renofa, established in recent months with the long-term intention of bringing J-League football to their remote prefecture, who now prop up the table after two heavy defeats. Next weekend, however, sees a mouthwatering clash betwen Fujita and FC Central that may go a long way towards deciding the destination of the 2006 title.



FC Central Chugoku fans cheer their team against Fagiano

Sun 07 May: FC Central Chugoku 5-0 Fagiano Okayama
Sun 07 May: Iwami SC 0-1 Hiroshima Fujita SC
Sun 07 May: JFE Steel 2-2 Hitachi Manufacturing Kasado (PK 6-7)
Sun 07 May: Renofa Yamaguchi 1-4 Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku

1 Hiroshima Fujita SC 6 (+3)
2 Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku 5 (+2)
3 FC Central Chugoku 4 (+5)
4 Iwami SC 3 (-)
5 Fagiano Okayama 3 (-1)
6 Hitachi Manufacturing Kasado 2 (-1)
7 JFE Steel 1 (-2)
8 Renofa Yamaguchi 0 (-7)