Japanese Non-league Football News

Things are incredibly close in Division 2 of the Hokushinetsu League after six rounds of matches, with really only Toyama Shinjo Club and the winless Nissei Resin likely to be out of contention as the season nears its half-way point. TOP Niigata moved into first place on goal difference thanks to an easy win over Shinjo, while previous leaders Valiente Toyama still have yet to record their first home victory of the year after a goalless draw with FC Antelope. Promoted sides Maruoka Phoenix and LionPower Komatsu impressively occupy third and fourth spots.



Defences on top as Valiente Toyama meet FC Antelope

Sun 21 May: FC Kanazu 1-2 LionPower Komatsu
Sun 21 May: Maruoka Phoenix 3-3 Nissei Resin
Sun 21 May: TOP Niigata 4-0 Toyama Shinjo Club
Sun 21 May: Valiente Toyama 0-0 FC Antelope

1 TOP Niigata 11 (+7)
2 Valiente Toyama 11 (+2)
3 Maruoka Phoenix 10 (+1)
4 LionPower Komatsu 9 (+1)
5 FC Kanazu 8 (+4)
6 FC Antelope 8 (-2)
7 Toyama Shinjo Club 4 (-10)
8 Nissei Resin 3 (-3)

The close-fought battle at the top of the Hokushinetsu League Division 1 continued in round 6 on Sunday, as Japan Soccer College scraped a 3-2 win at Fervorosa to keep hold of top spot on goal difference from Matsumoto Yamaga Club, who cruised past struggling local rivals Ueda Gentian. At the foot of the table, Niigata University of Management picked up a potentially vital three points at the expense of Teihens FC, but arguably the most significant result of the day saw Zweigen Kanazawa slip to their third defeat in four games at the hands of 2005 champions Nagano Elsa. This means that the richly-sponsored former Kanazawa SC now lie fully seven points off the pace and despite their wealth can surely be discounted from a place in the end-of-season promotion play-offs for this year.



Zweigen Kanazawa on the defensive against Nagano Elsa

Sun 21 May: Fervorosa 2-3 Japan Soccer College
Sun 21 May: Niigata University of Management 3-1 Teihens FC
Sun 21 May: Ueda Gentian 0-5 Matsumoto Yamaga Club
Sun 21 May: Zweigen Kanazawa 0-1 Nagano Elsa

1 Japan Soccer College 16 (+22)
2 Matsumoto Yamaga Club 16 (+13)
3 Nagano Elsa 15 (+19)
4 Zweigen Kanazawa 9 (+12)
5 Fervorosa 7 (+1)
6 Niigata University of Management 4 (-16)
7 Ueda Gentian 1 (-24)
8 Teihens FC 1 (-27)



Niigata University of Management in blue take on Teihens

With leaders FC Central Chugoku having their Sunday Chugoku League match against Hitachi Manufacturing Kasado postponed, the coast was clear for Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku, Fagiano Okayama and Hiroshima Fujita SC to make some headway in their absence. Sagawa and Fagiano both managed this in some style, picking up good away wins against some of the weaker teams in the region - but disaster struck Fujita, who lost for the second successive match, this time against the side that finished bottom of the table in 2005 but have been reformed with the long-term intention of bringing J-League football to a remote corner of Japan. Renofa Yamaguchi came from a goal down at half-time to win 2-1 and remarkably move level on points with Fujita in mid-table.



A Fagiano Okayama banner at the match with JFE Steel

Sun 21 May: Iwami SC 0-3 Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku
Sun 21 May: JFE Steel 0-5 Fagiano Okayama
Sun 21 May: Renofa Yamaguchi 2-1 Hiroshima Fujita SC

1 Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku 10 (+6)
2 Fagiano Okayama 9 (+11)
3 FC Central Chugoku 7 (+6)
4 Hiroshima Fujita SC 6 (+1)
5 Renofa Yamaguchi 6 (-5)
6 Iwami SC 3 (-10)
7 Hitachi Manufacturing Kasado 2 (-2)
8 JFE Steel 2 (-7)