Japanese Non-league Football News

Only two matches in the Chugoku League on Sunday, but both may well prove to be of profound importance when the title and relegation issues come to be decided at the end of the year. At the top of the table, Fagiano Okayama now appear to have a hand on the championship trophy after coming from one down at half time to defeat rivals and challengers FC Central Chugoku - this leaves Fagiano fully eight points ahead of FC Central and Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku, who both have just the one game in hand. At the opposite end of the rankings, however, it was a disastrous wekend for Hiroshima Fujita SC, even though they were not actually in action. A two-goal win at Iwami SC for Hitachi Manufacturing Kasado sees Fujita drop into the bottom two on goal difference and although there are six games left in the schedule, it's worth bearing in mind even at this stage that Hitachi take on the struggling giants of the Chugoku League scene on the last day of the campaign in October.



Fagiano Okayama on the attack against FC Central

Sun 02 Jul: Fagiano Okayama 2-1 FC Central Chugoku
Sun 02 Jul: Iwami SC 1-3 Hitachi Manufacturing Kasado

1 Fagiano Okayama 24 (+24)
2 Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku 16 (+15)
3 FC Central Chugoku 16 (+13)
4 Renofa Yamaguchi 14 (-5)
5 JFE Steel 12 (-2)
6 Hitachi Manufacturing Kasado 7 (-12)
7 Hiroshima Fujita SC 7 (-14)
8 Iwami SC 3 (-19)

The Hokushinetsu League Division 2 continues to be a particularly closely fought division and about the only issue that seems to be resolved with three fixtures remaining is that Nissei Resin look as if they will fill the automatic relegation place after their 3-1 defeat by Toyama Shinjo Club. But one position above them - the relegation play-off spot - is still very much up for grabs, with five teams still in real danger of ending up there. Current occupants are LionPower Komatsu, despite a 2-1 win over FC Antelope - but TOP Niigata and even third placed FC Kanazu could still be dragged down. TOP lost 3-1 at promotion play-off hopefuls Maruoka Phoenix, while FC Kanazu achieved their hardest-fought win of the season over top-of-the-table Valiente Toyama.



FC Kanazu battle it out with Valiente Toyama

Sun 02 Jul: FC Kanazu 1-0 Valiente Toyama
Sun 02 Jul: LionPower Komatsu 2-1 FC Antelope
Sun 02 Jul: Maruoka Phoenix 3-1 TOP Niigata
Sun 02 Jul: Nissei Resin 1-3 Toyama Shinjo Club

1 Valiente Toyama 20 (+8)
2 Maruoka Phoenix 19 (+4)
3 FC Kanazu 16 (+5)
4 TOP Niigata 16 (+4)
5 FC Antelope 15 (-2)
6 Toyama Shinjo Club 14 (-7)
7 LionPower Komatsu 13 (-6)
8 Nissei Resin 6 (-6)

More twists and turns at the top of the ultra-competitive Hokushinetsu League Division 1 on Sunday, with Japan Soccer College stealing a march on their rivals to return to first place via an easy 4-0 win at Teihens FC. Previous frontrunners and 2005 champions Nagano Elsa slipped to a disastrous 2-1 defeat at neighbours Matsumoto Yamaga Club to allow the students to step in - and with only three matches remaining, this looks like a key result for all concerned. The fact that Elsa visit JSC on the last day of the season in September is nevertheless likely to prove decisive. Elsewhere, Zweigen Kanazawa will be disappointed with a 0-0 draw at a Ueda Gentian side who have scored only three goals all season, and Fervorosa's poor run of form continued with a 4-0 thrashing at Niigata University of Management.



Matsumoto fans celebrate the win over rivals Nagano Elsa

Sun 02 Jul: Matsumoto Yamaga Club 2-1 Nagano Elsa
Sun 02 Jul: Niigata University of Management 4-0 Fervorosa
Sun 02 Jul: Teihens FC 0-4 Japan Soccer College
Sun 02 Jul: Ueda Gentian 0-0 Zweigen Kanazawa

1 Japan Soccer College 28 (+30)
2 Nagano Elsa 27 (+37)
3 Matsumoto Yamaga Club 25 (+18)
4 Zweigen Kanazawa 20 (+23)
5 Fervorosa 11 (-2)
6 Niigata University of Management 7 (-33)
7 Ueda Gentian 6 (-28)
8 Teihens FC 2 (-45)



Let’s face it, a rubbish picture of Zweigen against Ueda

Depending on where you looked there was either a goal drought or a flood in Sunday's JFL fixtures - but probably the key result was a plain old-fashioned 1-0 win that sees Honda FC all of a sudden four points clear at the top of the table. It was Junya Nitta who was on target just berfore half time against FC Ryukyu, while the nearest challengers of the Hamamatsu-based club could only pick up goalless draws: Sagawa Kyubin Osaka at SC Tottori,a fading YKK AP against Toyama rivals Alo's Hokuriku, and even Rosso Kumamoto in an ostensibly easy home game with Sagawa Printing. There were goals aplenty for Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo, however, who crushed Mitsubishi Mizushima 5-0 to make it three wins in a row, while improving Sony Sendai recovered from being two down inside just six minutes at Honda Lock to record a remarkable 6-2 victory.



FC Ryukyu in white, on the way to defeat against Honda FC

Sun 02 Jul: Honda FC 1-0 FC Ryukyu
Sun 02 Jul: Honda Lock 2-6 Sony Sendai
Sun 02 Jul: Mitsubishi Mizushima 0-5 Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo
Sun 02 Jul: Rosso Kumamoto 0-0 Sagawa Printing
Sun 02 Jul: SC Tottori 0-0 Sagawa Kyubin Osaka
Sun 02 Jul: YKK AP 0-0 Alo's Hokuriku

1 Honda FC 40 (+17)
2 Sagawa Kyubin Osaka 36 (+17)
3 YKK AP 35 (+22)
4 Rosso Kumamoto 34 (+14)
5 Tochigi SC 34 (+13)
6 Yokogawa Musashino 33 (+9)
7 Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo 30 (+26)
8 Alo's Hokuriku 29 (+14)
9 Sony Sendai 26 (+5)
10 SC Tottori 22 (+6)
11 Arte Takasaki 22 (-6)
12 JEF Club 16 (-8)
13 Sagawa Printing 16 (-13)
14 FC Kariya 15 (-16)
15 FC Ryukyu 10 (-13)
16 Honda Lock 9 (-32)
17 Mitsubishi Mizushima 9 (-32)
18 Ryutsu Keizai University 8 (-23)



YKK’s Kohei Onishi goes for goal in the Toyama derby match with Alo’s