Japanese Non-league Football News

Marisol Matsushima made it four wins on the run with a remarkable 9-2 trouncing of FC Perada Fukushima in Division 2 (South) of the Tohoku League - but second place Furukawa Battery have two games in hand and have yet to concede a goal after their 3-0 win over Shichigahama SC. Bottom of the division are Kureha Chemicals, who still managed to lose despite knocking in five goals at Kanai Club.



Furukawa Battery prepare for battle against Shichigahama SC

Sun 21 May: Furukawa Battery 3-0 Shichigahama SC
Sun 21 May: FC Perada Fukushima 2-9 Marisol Matsushima
Sun 21 May: Kanai Club 7-5 Kureha Chemicals

1 Marisol Matsushima 12 (+12)
2 Furukawa Battery 6 (+5)
3 Northern Peaks Koriyama 6 (+1)
4 Shichigahama SC 4 (-3)
5 Kanai Club 3 (-1)
6 FC Perada Fukushima 1 (-10)
7 Kureha Chemicals 0 (-4)

The pattern of fixtures in the Tohoku League tends to be rather confusing and so despite their having been, on paper at least, four rounds of matches, only FC Primeiro and Morioka Zebra have in fact played four times so far - indeed, newly promoted Sendai Nakata Club were taking part in their first match at Regional level following promotion from the Prefectural leagues. Not surprisingly they found title challengers Grulla Morioka rather tough to deal with and crashed to a 5-2 defeat. Leaders TDK Akita made it three wins out of three against NEC Tokin and have yet to concede a goal in 270 minutes of football. Fukushima's FC Primeiro moved third as they won at Zebra, while Wiese Shiogama followed two draws with a 5-0 thrashing of bottom-placed Nippon Steel Kamaishi.



FC Primeiro kick Morioka Zebra when they're down

Sun 21 May: NEC Tokin 0-3 TDK Akita
Sun 21 May: Wiese Shiogama 5-0 Nippon Steel Kamaishi
Sun 21 May: Morioka Zebra 1-2 FC Primeiro
Sun 21 May: Sendai Nakata Club 2-5 Grulla Morioka

1 TDK Akita 9 (+14)
2 Grulla Morioka 9 (+6)
3 FC Primeiro 7 (-)
4 Wiese Shiogama 5 (+5)
5 NEC Tokin 4 (-)
6 Sendai Nakata Club 0 (-3)
7 Morioka Zebra 0 (-9)
8 Nippon Steel Kamaishi 0 (-13)

A first point of the season for Ventana AC via a 2-2 draw at Tokushima Vortis Amateur was in some senses the key factor of Sunday's fixtures in the Shikoku League, while Alex SC strengthened their grip on a place at Regional level by beating fellow strugglers Sanwa Club. At the top of the table, however, Kamatamare Sanuki are heading for the promotion play-offs for a place in the JFL, as they continued their perfect start to the season with a sixth straight win against Sanyo Electric Tokushima, and Nangoku Kochi moved into second spot after an important win over challengers Ehime Shimanami.



Top-of-the-table Kamatamare Sanuki fly past Sanyo Electric Tokushima

Sun 21 May: Alex SC 2-1 Sanwa Club
Sun 21 May: Tokushima Vortis Amateur 2-2 Ventana AC
Sun 21 May: Nangoku Kochi 3-1 Ehime Shimanami
Sun 21 May: Sanyo Electric Tokushima 1-4 Kamatamare Sanuki

1 Kamatamare Sanuki 18 (+16)
2 Nangoku Kochi 13 (+11)
3 Ehime Shimanami 13 (+10)
4 Sanyo Electric Tokushima 10 (-)
5 Alex SC 7 (-2)
6 Tokushima Vortis Amateur 5 (-6)
7 Sanwa Club 1 (-9)
8 Ventana AC 1 (-20)



Ventana AC in white clash with Tokushima Vortis Amateur

Nippon Steel Oita made a move to the top of the Kyushu League on Sunday, thanks to a narrow 3-2 win over a fading Volca Kagoshima side, thus leapfrogging them over V Varen Nagasaki. Volca are now level with Okinawa Kariyushi, enjoying something of a renaissance this year after just avoiding relegation last season and 3-0 winners on Sunday over Osumi NIFS United. In the bottom-of-the-table clash, meanwhile, Nanakuma Tombies picked up two points as they beat Kaiho Bank SC in the penalty shoot-out following a 1-1 draw.



Pre-match meets 'n' greets for Nanakuma Tombies and Kaiho Bank SC

Sun 21 May: Nippon Steel Oita 3-2 Volca Kagoshima
Sun 21 May: Okinawa Kariyushi 3-0 Osumi NIFS United
Sun 21 May: Kaiho Bank SC 1-1 Nanakuma Tombies (PK 2-3)

1 Nippon Steel Oita 18 (+14)
2 V Varen Nagasaki 16 (+14)
3 New Wave Kitakyushu 14 (+7)
4 Volca Kagoshima 12 (+6)
5 Okinawa Kariyushi 12 (+6)
6 Osumi NIFS United 6 (-7)
7 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagasaki 3 (-6)
8 Nanakuma Tombies 2 (-19)
9 Kaiho Bank SC 1 (-15)



Shinichi Fujita, scorer for Volca Kagoshima against Nippon Steel

Kanto League Division 2 leaders FC Machida Zelvia crashed to a shock home defeat at home to Ome FC at the weekend. The Saitama-based team twice came from behind, clinching the winner with fifteen minutes remaining in what was in fact their first victory of the campaign so far. Furukawa Electrics Chiba closed the gap at the top to five points thanks to a 4-3 win at All Kamisu SC and now have Nirasaki Astros hot on their heels, 3-2 winners at Aries FC. Kanagawa Teachers also fought out a goalless draw with Hitachi Tochigi Uva.



Muneyuki Kasai, scorer of Ome FC's winner against Machida Zelvia

Sat 20 May: Kanagawa Teachers 0-0 Hitachi Tochigi Uva

Sun 21 May: Nirasaki Astros 3-2 Aries FC
Sun 21 May: FC Machida Zelvia 2-3 Ome FC
Sun 21 May: All Kamisu SC 3-4 Furukawa Electrics Chiba

1 FC Machida Zelvia 15 (+14)
2 Furukawa Electrics Chiba 10 (-)
3 Nirasaki Astros 9 (-)
4 Kanagawa Teachers 8 (-)
5 Hitachi Tochigi Uva 8 (-2)
6 Ome FC 6 (-3)
7 All Kamisu SC 5 (-3)
8 Aries FC 3 (-6)

Surprise package Yaita SC continued their unbeaten start to the Kanto League Division 1 season at the weekend, their fifth win in six games at home to Toshiba Fuchu extending their lead to five points from Yokohama Sports and Culture Club. Champions Luminozo Sayama move up to third following a win at bottom side MSDF Atsugi Marcus, while in mid-table Toho Titanium beat Saitama SC 1-0.



Luminozo's Yukihiro Hase puts MSDF Atsugi Marcus under pressure

Sat 20 May: MSDF Atsugi Marcus 1-2 Luminozo Sayama
Sat 20 May: Toho Titanium 1-0 Saitama SC

Sun 21 May: Hanno Bruder 1-1 YSCC
Sun 21 May: Yaita SC 2-0 Toshiba Fuchu

1 Yaita SC 16 (+9)
2 YSCC 11 (+4)
3 Luminozo Sayama 10 (+2)
4 Toshiba Fuchu 9 (+1)
5 Saitama SC 7 (+1)
6 Toho Titanium 7 (-5)
7 Hanno Bruder 5 (-3)
8 MSDF Atsugi Marcus 3 (-9)

The halfway point has now been reached in the Kansai League Division 2 season - and it's all change at the top, with as two consecutive drawn games have cost FC Kyoto BAMB 1993 the leadership. Technonet Osaka replaced them in first position thanks to a good 2-0 win at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe, while BAMB were held at Hermano Osaka. At the bottom, Kobe FC Senior C still have just one poitn and are looking odds-on favourites for relegation after losing 3-2 at Kohga School, while the other two sides in the bottom half - Kihoku Football Group and Riseisha FC - drew 2-2.



Riseisha FC pictured before their draw with Kihoku Football Group

Sat 20 May: Kihoku Football Group 2-2 Riseisha FC
Sat 20 May: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe 0-2 Technonet Osaka

Sun 21 May: Kohga School 3-2 Kobe FC Senior C
Sun 21 May: Hermano Osaka 2-2 FC Kyoto BAMB 1993

1 Technonet Osaka 18 (+6)
2 FC Kyoto BAMB 1993 17 (+14)
3 Hermano Osaka 13 (+6)
4 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe 12 (+2)
5 Riseisha FC 8 (-1)
6 Kohga School 6 (-6)
7 Kihoku Football Group 5 (-13)
8 Kobe FC Senior C 1 (-8)



No idea what the keeper's doing there, but it's Mitsubishi against Technonet, anyway