Japanese Non-league Football News

Honda FC moved into second spot in the JFL table for the first time this season, after a last-minute goal from Masayuki Ishii gave them a 3-2 win at Sony Sendai. Also picking up a useful away win were Rosso Kumamoto, who now occupy fourth position after another late goal was enough to defeat early league leaders Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo. Tochigi SC could only draw at Arte Takasaki and seem to be developing a somewhat inconsistent streak that could thwart their J-League dreams. There was also a seventh draw in ten games for SC Tottori at home to FC Ryukyu and a potentially vital 89th-minute goal for Ryutsu Keizai University to complete their comeback from two goals down to Mitsubishi Mizushima.



A tentative Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo before their clash with Rosso Kumamoto

Sunday 14th May: Arte Takasaki 0-0 Tochigi SC
Sunday 14th May: Ryutsu Keizai University 3-2 Mitsubishi Mizushima
Sunday 14th May: SC Tottori 1-1 FC Ryukyu
Sunday 14th May: Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo 0-1 Rosso Kumamoto
Sunday 14th May: Sony Sendai 2-3 Honda FC

1 YKK AP 28 (+24)
2 Honda FC 25 (+14)
3 Alo's Hokuriku 23 (+16)
4 Rosso Kumamoto 22 (+10)
5 Tochigi SC 21 (+10)
6 Sagawa Kyubin Osaka 17 (+5)
7 Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo 16 (+12)
8 Yokogawa Musashino 16 (+3)
9 Sony Sendai 15 (-1)
10 Arte Takasaki 11 (-7)
11 SC Tottori 10 (-4)
12 FC Kariya 10 (-11)
13 JEF Club 9 (-4)
14 Mitsubishi Mizushima 7 (-15)
15 FC Ryukyu 6 (-5)
16 Ryutsu Keizai University 6 (-14)
17 Sagawa Printing 5 (-13)
18 Honda Lock 5 (-20)



Arte Takasaki under pressure from Tochigi SC

Two Saturday fixtures in Division 2 of the Kansai League saw leaders FC Kyoto BAMB 1993 relinquish their 100% record at the sixth time of asking, held somewhat surprisingly to a goalless draw by new boys Riseisha FC. Moving into second place behind them are Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe, who put five past the division's leakiest defence at Kihoku Football Group.



An official crowd of 3 attend the match between Kihoku and Mitsubishi

Saturday 13th May: Kihoku Football Group 2-5 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe
Saturday 13th May: Riseisha FC 0-0 FC Kyoto BAMB 1993

1 FC Kyoto BAMB 1993 16 (+14)
2 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe 12 (+4)
3 Technonet Osaka 12 (+3)
4 Hermano Osaka 9 (+3)
5 Riseisha FC 7 (-1)
6 Kihoku Football Group 4 (-13)
7 Kohga School 3 (-4)
8 Kobe FC Senior C 1 (-6)

Four games from the JFL to report on briefly this very busy weekend for the Japanese non-league scene. Leaders YKK AP continued their remarkable start to the season with their ninth win in ten matches at Sagawa Kyubin Osaka via Tetsuro Kimura's sixteenth-minute strike. Second-placed Alo's Hokuriku, in contrast, now have just one win and a single goal in four matches following a 0-0 draw at Yokogawa Musashino. Significant action too, though, at the foot of the table, where Sagawa Printing finally got their first victory of 2006. Two goals midway through the second half enabled them to come from behind to defeat JEF Club and also to leapfrog both Ryutsu Keizai University and Honda Lock in the rankings. RKU play fellow strugglers Mitsubishi Mizushima on Sunday, but Lock went down to a 3-2 defeat at FC Kariya, for whom Toshihiro Nishimura scored twice in three minutes shortly after the break to ease relegation nerves for the club formerly known as Denso.



Daiki Koyama copes with the conditions for Yokogawa against Alo's

Saturday 13th May: FC Kariya 3-2 Honda Lock
Saturday 13th May: Sagawa Kyubin Osaka 0-1 YKK AP
Saturday 13th May: Sagawa Printing 2-1 JEF Club
Saturday 13th May: Yokogawa Musashino 0-0 Alo's Hokuriku

1 YKK AP 28 (+24)
2 Alo's Hokuriku 23 (+16)
3 Honda FC 22 (+13)
4 Tochigi SC 20 (+10)
5 Rosso Kumamoto 19 (+9)
6 Sagawa Kyubin Osaka 17 (+5)
7 Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo 16 (+13)
8 Yokogawa Musashino 16 (+3)
9 Sony Sendai 15 (-)
10 Arte Takasaki 10 (-7)
11 FC Kariya 10 (-11)
12 JEF Club 9 (-4)
13 SC Tottori 9 (-4)
14 Mitsubishi Mizushima 7 (-14)
15 FC Ryukyu 5 (-5)
16 Sagawa Printing 5 (-13)
17 Honda Lock 5 (-20)
18 Ryutsu Keizai University 3 (-15)



An apparently random moment from FC Kariya v Honda Lock