... Honda FC lost 2-1 to J2 side Vegalta Sendai in a 3 x 45 mins friendly on Sunday, their goal coming from striker Kodai Suzuki... the following day, Sagawa Kyubin SC beat YKK AP 2-1...
スポンサーサイト
... Ventforet Kofu youth team keeper Yosuke Yamamoto has joined Hokushinetsu League hopefuls Matsumoto Yamaga Club... Matsumoto's rivals Zweigen Kanazawa lost 1-0 in a low-key friendly to JFL side Sagawa Printing on Saturday... Kansai League Division 2 side Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe continued their busy pre-season with a 3-1 win over Hyogo-based company team Kaneka Takasago on Sunday...
Honda Lock (try to) put Honda FC under pressure
...striker Yoshikatsu Nakamura, 24, has moved from Norbritz Hokkaido to Kanto League Division 1 newcomers Hitachi Tochigi Uva... meanwhile, ambitious Kanto Leaguers FC Machida Zelvia beat relegated MSDF Atsugi Marcus 5-2 in Sunday's 3 x 30 mins friendly... Honda Lock, now back in the Kyushu League, went down 2-0 to Honda FC in their game on Saturday... Grulla Morioka beat local rivals Morioka Zebra 8-0, as well as securing a 4-1 win over Iwate University in two Winter League games on Sunday - which were delayed by snow in Tohoku...
Honda Lock (try to) put Honda FC under pressure
...striker Yoshikatsu Nakamura, 24, has moved from Norbritz Hokkaido to Kanto League Division 1 newcomers Hitachi Tochigi Uva... meanwhile, ambitious Kanto Leaguers FC Machida Zelvia beat relegated MSDF Atsugi Marcus 5-2 in Sunday's 3 x 30 mins friendly... Honda Lock, now back in the Kyushu League, went down 2-0 to Honda FC in their game on Saturday... Grulla Morioka beat local rivals Morioka Zebra 8-0, as well as securing a 4-1 win over Iwate University in two Winter League games on Sunday - which were delayed by snow in Tohoku...
... former Alo's Hokuriku star Yoshio Kitagawa has joined the club's coaching staff... forward Hisatoshi Kaneko has left ex-JFL side Kokushikan University to move to Sony Sendai... Tochigi SC beat Kashima Antlers 2-1 in a friendly on Monday...
The 26th Western Japan Football Tournament was completed in Yamaguchi on Sunday, FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu emerging as the shock winners of the competition. They beat Kansai League rivals Banditonce Kobe 3-0 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the play-off game to decide the first and second-place teams.
In the other three fixtures, V Varen Nagasaki from Kyushu claimed third position with a comfortable 3-0 win over the ultimately disappointing Fagiano Okayama; in fifth were FC Central Chugoku, penalty shoot-out victors at the expense of Kamatamare Sanuki; and Nippon Steel Oita condemned Shikoku's Nangoku Kochi to the wooden spoon with an emphatic 7-3 drubbing. The full results and final rankings for the competition are as follows.
The ant men of Fagiano Okayama (red) against V Varen Nagasaki
Group 1
Fri 23 Feb: Match 1: Banditonce Kobe 6-2 FC Central Chugoku
Fri 23 Feb: Match 2: V Varen Nagasaki 3-1 Nangoku Kochi
Sat 24 Feb: Match 3: Banditonce Kobe 3-1 V Varen Nagasaki
Sat 24 Feb: Match 4: FC Central Chugoku 5-4 Nangoku Kochi
Group 2
Fri 23 Feb: Match 5: Fagiano Okayama 8-1 Nippon Steel Oita
Fri 23 Feb: Match 6: Kamatamare Sanuki 2-3 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 7: Fagiano Okayama 1-2 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 8: Nippon Steel Oita 0-3 Kamatamare Sanuki
Sun 25 Feb: Tournament Decider: Banditonce Kobe 1-1 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu (FC Mi-o won 3-0 on pens)
Sun 25 Feb: 3rd / 4th place Decider: V Varen Nagasaki 3-0 Fagiano Okayama
Sun 25 Feb: 5th / 6th place Decider: FC Central Chugoku 1-1 Kamatamare Sanuki (FC Central won 3-2 on pens)
Sun 25 Feb: 7th / 8th place Decider: Nangoku Kochi 3-7 Nippon Steel Oita
1. FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
2. Banditonce Kobe
3. V Varen Nagasaki
4. Fagiano Okayama
5. FC Central Chugoku
6. Kamatamare Sanuki
7. Nippon Steel Oita
8. Nangoku Kochi
In the other three fixtures, V Varen Nagasaki from Kyushu claimed third position with a comfortable 3-0 win over the ultimately disappointing Fagiano Okayama; in fifth were FC Central Chugoku, penalty shoot-out victors at the expense of Kamatamare Sanuki; and Nippon Steel Oita condemned Shikoku's Nangoku Kochi to the wooden spoon with an emphatic 7-3 drubbing. The full results and final rankings for the competition are as follows.
The ant men of Fagiano Okayama (red) against V Varen Nagasaki
Group 1
Fri 23 Feb: Match 1: Banditonce Kobe 6-2 FC Central Chugoku
Fri 23 Feb: Match 2: V Varen Nagasaki 3-1 Nangoku Kochi
Sat 24 Feb: Match 3: Banditonce Kobe 3-1 V Varen Nagasaki
Sat 24 Feb: Match 4: FC Central Chugoku 5-4 Nangoku Kochi
Group 2
Fri 23 Feb: Match 5: Fagiano Okayama 8-1 Nippon Steel Oita
Fri 23 Feb: Match 6: Kamatamare Sanuki 2-3 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 7: Fagiano Okayama 1-2 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 8: Nippon Steel Oita 0-3 Kamatamare Sanuki
Sun 25 Feb: Tournament Decider: Banditonce Kobe 1-1 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu (FC Mi-o won 3-0 on pens)
Sun 25 Feb: 3rd / 4th place Decider: V Varen Nagasaki 3-0 Fagiano Okayama
Sun 25 Feb: 5th / 6th place Decider: FC Central Chugoku 1-1 Kamatamare Sanuki (FC Central won 3-2 on pens)
Sun 25 Feb: 7th / 8th place Decider: Nangoku Kochi 3-7 Nippon Steel Oita
1. FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
2. Banditonce Kobe
3. V Varen Nagasaki
4. Fagiano Okayama
5. FC Central Chugoku
6. Kamatamare Sanuki
7. Nippon Steel Oita
8. Nangoku Kochi
... another stack of friendlies to report on from Sunday - and another stack of mostly defeats for the JFL teams. The exceptions were Yokogawa Musashino, but their 1-0 win was scored over JEF Reserves anyway... Tochigi SC went down 5-3 to JEF United, while YKK AP staged another game against Cerezo Osaka and lost 2-1... Kyoto Sanga beat Sagawa Kyubin SC 1-0... two separate Ehime FC teams both overcame JFL opposition, 1-0 at Mitsubishi Mizushima and 2-1 at Gainare Tottori...
Easy does it. Yokogawa's Satoshi Asakawa in possession against JEF
Easy does it. Yokogawa's Satoshi Asakawa in possession against JEF
...Sony Sendai went down 4-1 to Yokohama F Marinos in their friendly on Saturday... all in all, it wasn't a particularly good day for JFL teams, as Rosso Kumamoto lost 3-1 to Sagan Tosu, Cerezo Osaka beat YKK AP by the same scoreline and FC Kariya were beaten 1-0 by Tokushima Vortis... Yokogawa Musashino drew 0-0 with Tokyo Gakugei University, though...
FC Ryukyu managed a win - but just 1-0 against local Okinawan side Requios FC... meanwhile, Ryukyu forward Tetsuro Miyagi, 26, has quit the club... FC Gifu thrashed Kansai University 8-2... but Arte Takasaki were beaten 2-1 by Kokushikan University...
Sony Sendai take on the might of Yokohama F Marinos
... more details have been issued of the set-up of the new Sagawa Kyubin SC outfit... ex-Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo coach will work as head coach under boss Masafumi Nakaguchi, previously his opposite number at Sagawa Kyubin Osaka... Shun Suzuki, Tokyo's former Sagan Tosu defender, has quit as a player and also joined the coaching staff... the club's published squad does indeed include sixteen Osaka players and fifteen from Tokyo, as previously reported...
FC Ryukyu managed a win - but just 1-0 against local Okinawan side Requios FC... meanwhile, Ryukyu forward Tetsuro Miyagi, 26, has quit the club... FC Gifu thrashed Kansai University 8-2... but Arte Takasaki were beaten 2-1 by Kokushikan University...
Sony Sendai take on the might of Yokohama F Marinos
... more details have been issued of the set-up of the new Sagawa Kyubin SC outfit... ex-Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo coach will work as head coach under boss Masafumi Nakaguchi, previously his opposite number at Sagawa Kyubin Osaka... Shun Suzuki, Tokyo's former Sagan Tosu defender, has quit as a player and also joined the coaching staff... the club's published squad does indeed include sixteen Osaka players and fifteen from Tokyo, as previously reported...
It will be an all-Kansai League decider on Sunday in the Western Japan Football Tournament, currently being staged in Yamaguchi prefecture. Banditonce Kobe staked their own claim - and went some way towards making amends for their poor showing in the Regional League Championship Winners' Play-offs in November - with a 3-1 defeat of Kyushu's V Varen Nagasaki.
But to the surprise of most observers, they will meet in the final not favourites Fagiano Okayama from Chugoku, but their own neighbours FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu, who pulled off an impressive 2-1 win over the Pheasants after having previously beaten Shikoku's Kamatamare Sanuki. This leaves V Varen and Fagiano battling it out for third and fourth place in Sunday's games. In the other two matches on Saturday, Kamatamare breezed past Nippon Steel Oita, while FC Central Chugoku notched up a 5-4 defeat of Nangoku Kochi.
Group 1
Fri 23 Feb: Match 1: Banditonce Kobe 6-2 FC Central Chugoku
Fri 23 Feb: Match 2: V Varen Nagasaki 3-1 Nangoku Kochi
Sat 24 Feb: Match 3: Banditonce Kobe 3-1 V Varen Nagasaki
Sat 24 Feb: Match 4: FC Central Chugoku 5-4 Nangoku Kochi
Group 2
Fri 23 Feb: Match 5: Fagiano Okayama 8-1 Nippon Steel Oita
Fri 23 Feb: Match 6: Kamatamare Sanuki 2-3 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 7: Fagiano Okayama 1-2 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 8: Nippon Steel Oita 0-3 Kamatamare Sanuki
Sun 25 Feb: Tournament Decider: Banditonce Kobe - FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sun 25 Feb: 3rd / 4th place Decider: V Varen Nagasaki - Fagiano Okayama
Sun 25 Feb: 5th / 6th place Decider: FC Central Chugoku - Kamatamare Sanuki
Sun 25 Feb: 7th / 8th place Decider: Nangoku Kochi - Nippon Steel Oita
But to the surprise of most observers, they will meet in the final not favourites Fagiano Okayama from Chugoku, but their own neighbours FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu, who pulled off an impressive 2-1 win over the Pheasants after having previously beaten Shikoku's Kamatamare Sanuki. This leaves V Varen and Fagiano battling it out for third and fourth place in Sunday's games. In the other two matches on Saturday, Kamatamare breezed past Nippon Steel Oita, while FC Central Chugoku notched up a 5-4 defeat of Nangoku Kochi.
Group 1
Fri 23 Feb: Match 1: Banditonce Kobe 6-2 FC Central Chugoku
Fri 23 Feb: Match 2: V Varen Nagasaki 3-1 Nangoku Kochi
Sat 24 Feb: Match 3: Banditonce Kobe 3-1 V Varen Nagasaki
Sat 24 Feb: Match 4: FC Central Chugoku 5-4 Nangoku Kochi
Group 2
Fri 23 Feb: Match 5: Fagiano Okayama 8-1 Nippon Steel Oita
Fri 23 Feb: Match 6: Kamatamare Sanuki 2-3 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 7: Fagiano Okayama 1-2 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 8: Nippon Steel Oita 0-3 Kamatamare Sanuki
Sun 25 Feb: Tournament Decider: Banditonce Kobe - FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sun 25 Feb: 3rd / 4th place Decider: V Varen Nagasaki - Fagiano Okayama
Sun 25 Feb: 5th / 6th place Decider: FC Central Chugoku - Kamatamare Sanuki
Sun 25 Feb: 7th / 8th place Decider: Nangoku Kochi - Nippon Steel Oita
Details here of the 26th Western Japan Football Tournament, of which the first group matches took place in Yamaguchi prefecture on Friday. The competition, which is open to the top two teams in last season's Kyushu, Shikoku, Chugoku and Kansai leagues, is the first real opportunity in the calendar year for fans to assess the likely strengths and weaknesses of some of the top non-league teams during 2007.
The big winners in Friday's games were Chugoku champions Fagiano Okayama, who crashed eight past Nippon Steel Oita and therefore qualify to play on Saturday against FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu, late winners over Kamatamare Sanuki. In Group 1, Banditonce Kobe cruised past FC Central Chugoku and will take on V Varen Nagasaki - winners over Nangoku Kochi - in the second game. Full results and fixtures are below.
FC Central Chugoku line up before their loss to Banditonce Kobe
Group 1
Fri 23 Feb: Match 1: Banditonce Kobe 6-2 FC Central Chugoku
Fri 23 Feb: Match 2: V Varen Nagasaki 3-1 Nangoku Kochi
Sat 24 Feb: Match 3: Banditonce Kobe - V Varen Nagasaki 2
Sat 24 Feb: Match 4: FC Central Chugoku - Nangoku Kochi
Group 2
Fri 23 Feb: Match 5: Fagiano Okayama 8-1 Nippon Steel Oita
Fri 23 Feb: Match 6: Kamatamare Sanuki 2-3 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 7: Fagiano Okayama - FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 8: Nippon Steel Oita - Kamatamare Sanuki
Sun 25 Feb: Tournament Decider: Winner Match 3 - Winner Match 7
Sun 25 Feb: 3rd / 4th place Decider: Loser Match 3 - Loser Match 7
Sun 25 Feb: 5th / 6th place Decider: Winner Match 4 - Winner Match 8
Sun 25 Feb: 7th / 8th place Decider: Loser Match 4 - Loser Match 8
The big winners in Friday's games were Chugoku champions Fagiano Okayama, who crashed eight past Nippon Steel Oita and therefore qualify to play on Saturday against FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu, late winners over Kamatamare Sanuki. In Group 1, Banditonce Kobe cruised past FC Central Chugoku and will take on V Varen Nagasaki - winners over Nangoku Kochi - in the second game. Full results and fixtures are below.
FC Central Chugoku line up before their loss to Banditonce Kobe
Group 1
Fri 23 Feb: Match 1: Banditonce Kobe 6-2 FC Central Chugoku
Fri 23 Feb: Match 2: V Varen Nagasaki 3-1 Nangoku Kochi
Sat 24 Feb: Match 3: Banditonce Kobe - V Varen Nagasaki 2
Sat 24 Feb: Match 4: FC Central Chugoku - Nangoku Kochi
Group 2
Fri 23 Feb: Match 5: Fagiano Okayama 8-1 Nippon Steel Oita
Fri 23 Feb: Match 6: Kamatamare Sanuki 2-3 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 7: Fagiano Okayama - FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 8: Nippon Steel Oita - Kamatamare Sanuki
Sun 25 Feb: Tournament Decider: Winner Match 3 - Winner Match 7
Sun 25 Feb: 3rd / 4th place Decider: Loser Match 3 - Loser Match 7
Sun 25 Feb: 5th / 6th place Decider: Winner Match 4 - Winner Match 8
Sun 25 Feb: 7th / 8th place Decider: Loser Match 4 - Loser Match 8
... recent JFL friendlies include on Thursday, Sagawa Kyubin SC's 2-0 win over FC Gifu, a 4-0 defeat for Honda FC at the hands of J1 side Oita Trinita, a goalless draw between Sony Sendai and Montedio Yamagata of J2, and a 4-1 win for TDK SC against Japan U18... Friday saw Rosso Kumamoto claim a 2-2 draw with a USA U22 side, while YKK AP ran in a superb 5-1 scoreline against Vissel Kobe...
... Shikoku League winners Kamatamare Sanuki have released no fewer than nineteen players from their 2006 squad, including former Consadole Sapporo keeper Shogo Ebisawa. New signings include a replacement goalie, Kensuke Horinouchi from Arte Takasaki, midfield duo Nobuho Mikazaki and Kenji Ito from Tohoku League favourites Grulla Morioka and defender Mitsuho Izutani from J2 neighours Ehime FC... in Kansai, 2006 runners-up FC Mio-Biwako Kusatsu have released details of their new signings, who include five college players and 24-year-old midfielder Nobuo Nasu, previously with FC Central Chugoku, Okinawa Kariyushi and most recently JFL side FC Kariya... Matsumoto Yamaga Club in Hokushinetsu have also signed three college players...
Some information has emerged as to how the JFL plan to manage the number of teams in the division for next season, in the light of the decision under specific circumstances to enable teams finishing in the top four of the JFL to gain promotion. There are several possible variations, according to the number of clubs who do succeed in going up to J2, as follows:
If no teams are promoted into J2, the bottom two JFL teams will automatically be relegated and the top two in the Regional League Championship Winners' Play-off promoted in their place. There will also be a Play-off between the 16th JFL team and the third-placed club in the Championship Winners' Play-off.
If one team is promoted into J2, one team will be automatically relegated from the JFL. The top two teams in the Regional Championship Winners' Play-off will be promoted, with a Play-off between the 17th JFL team and the third team in the Championship Winners' Play-off.
If two teams are promoted into J2, the top two teams in the Regional League Championship Winners' Play-off will be promoted, with a Play-off between the bottom JFL team and the third team in the Championship Winners' Play-off.
If three or four teams are promoted into J2, the top three or four teams in the Regional League Championship Winners' Play-off will be promoted in their place and there will simply be no relegation from out of the JFL.
If no teams are promoted into J2, the bottom two JFL teams will automatically be relegated and the top two in the Regional League Championship Winners' Play-off promoted in their place. There will also be a Play-off between the 16th JFL team and the third-placed club in the Championship Winners' Play-off.
If one team is promoted into J2, one team will be automatically relegated from the JFL. The top two teams in the Regional Championship Winners' Play-off will be promoted, with a Play-off between the 17th JFL team and the third team in the Championship Winners' Play-off.
If two teams are promoted into J2, the top two teams in the Regional League Championship Winners' Play-off will be promoted, with a Play-off between the bottom JFL team and the third team in the Championship Winners' Play-off.
If three or four teams are promoted into J2, the top three or four teams in the Regional League Championship Winners' Play-off will be promoted in their place and there will simply be no relegation from out of the JFL.
The JFL have released details of the league fixtures for the forthcoming 2007 season. Fans of the Japanese non-league game have been especially eager to have sight of the listings since it was announced on Tuesday that a top-four finish will this year be sufficient to enable any of the clubs with J-League associate membership - Rosso Kumamoto, SC Tochigi and Gainare Tottori, although FC Gifu will in all probability be added to this list before too long - to gain promotion to J2.
The campaign opens with a full set of nine matches on Sunday 18th March, with the highlights undoubtedly being champions Honda FC against newcomers FC Gifu, and the new Sagawa Kyubin SC team hosting the other promoted side, TDK SC. Equally, in the final round at the beginning of December, TDK visit Honda for what will be a tough end to their first year in the JFL since it was reorganised in 1999.
The opening and closing day fixtures, together with some of the other highlights of what is likely to be an exciting year of football, are below.
Sun 18 Mar: Alo's Hokuriku - FC Kariya
Sun 18 Mar: Arte Takasaki - Gainare Tottori
Sun 18 Mar: Honda FC - FC Gifu
Sun 18 Mar: Rosso Kumamoto - Ryutsu Keizai University
Sun 18 Mar: Sagawa Kyubin SC - TDK SC
Sun 18 Mar: Sony Sendai - JEF Reserves
Sun 18 Mar: Tochigi SC - FC Ryukyu
Sun 18 Mar: YKK AP - Mitsubishi Mizushima
Sun 18 Mar: Yokogawa Musashino - Sagawa Printing
Sun 06 May: Alo's Hokuriku - YKK AP
Sun 20 May: Rosso Kumamoto - FC Gifu
Sun 03 Jun: Rosso Kumamoto - Sagawa Kyubin SC
Sun 10 Jun: Honda FC - Rosso Kumamoto
Sat 16 Jun: Sagawa Kyubin SC - FC Gifu
Sun 24 Jun: Honda FC - Sagawa Kyubin SC
Fri 29 Jun: FC Gifu - Honda FC
Sun 05 Aug: YKK AP - Alo's Hokuriku
Sun 19 Aug: FC Gifu - Rosso Kumamoto
Sat 13 Oct: Sagawa Kyubin SC - Rosso Kumamoto
Sat 20 Oct: Rosso Kumamoto - Honda FC
Sun 18 Nov: Sagawa Kyubin SC - Honda FC
Sun 25 Nov: FC Gifu - Sagawa Kyubin SC
Sun 02 Dec: Alo's Hokuriku - JEF Reserves
Sun 02 Dec: Arte Takasaki - FC Gifu
Sun 02 Dec: Honda FC - TDK SC
Sun 02 Dec: Rosso Kumamoto - Sagawa Printing
Sun 02 Dec: Sagawa Kyubin SC - Mitsubishi Mizushima
Sun 02 Dec: Sony Sendai - Gainare Tottori
Sun 02 Dec: Tochigi SC - FC Kariya
Sun 02 Dec: YKK AP - Ryutsu Keizai University
Sun 02 Dec: Yokogawa Musashino - FC Ryukyu
The campaign opens with a full set of nine matches on Sunday 18th March, with the highlights undoubtedly being champions Honda FC against newcomers FC Gifu, and the new Sagawa Kyubin SC team hosting the other promoted side, TDK SC. Equally, in the final round at the beginning of December, TDK visit Honda for what will be a tough end to their first year in the JFL since it was reorganised in 1999.
The opening and closing day fixtures, together with some of the other highlights of what is likely to be an exciting year of football, are below.
Sun 18 Mar: Alo's Hokuriku - FC Kariya
Sun 18 Mar: Arte Takasaki - Gainare Tottori
Sun 18 Mar: Honda FC - FC Gifu
Sun 18 Mar: Rosso Kumamoto - Ryutsu Keizai University
Sun 18 Mar: Sagawa Kyubin SC - TDK SC
Sun 18 Mar: Sony Sendai - JEF Reserves
Sun 18 Mar: Tochigi SC - FC Ryukyu
Sun 18 Mar: YKK AP - Mitsubishi Mizushima
Sun 18 Mar: Yokogawa Musashino - Sagawa Printing
Sun 06 May: Alo's Hokuriku - YKK AP
Sun 20 May: Rosso Kumamoto - FC Gifu
Sun 03 Jun: Rosso Kumamoto - Sagawa Kyubin SC
Sun 10 Jun: Honda FC - Rosso Kumamoto
Sat 16 Jun: Sagawa Kyubin SC - FC Gifu
Sun 24 Jun: Honda FC - Sagawa Kyubin SC
Fri 29 Jun: FC Gifu - Honda FC
Sun 05 Aug: YKK AP - Alo's Hokuriku
Sun 19 Aug: FC Gifu - Rosso Kumamoto
Sat 13 Oct: Sagawa Kyubin SC - Rosso Kumamoto
Sat 20 Oct: Rosso Kumamoto - Honda FC
Sun 18 Nov: Sagawa Kyubin SC - Honda FC
Sun 25 Nov: FC Gifu - Sagawa Kyubin SC
Sun 02 Dec: Alo's Hokuriku - JEF Reserves
Sun 02 Dec: Arte Takasaki - FC Gifu
Sun 02 Dec: Honda FC - TDK SC
Sun 02 Dec: Rosso Kumamoto - Sagawa Printing
Sun 02 Dec: Sagawa Kyubin SC - Mitsubishi Mizushima
Sun 02 Dec: Sony Sendai - Gainare Tottori
Sun 02 Dec: Tochigi SC - FC Kariya
Sun 02 Dec: YKK AP - Ryutsu Keizai University
Sun 02 Dec: Yokogawa Musashino - FC Ryukyu
...midfielder Masahiro Ikeda, formerly a JFL player with Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo, has moved from Shonan Bellmare to JFL newcomers TDK SC. He will be joined there by Masatoshi Matsuda, a forward from Kyoto Sanga...
... V Varen Nagasaki, 2-1 winners over Gainare Tottori on Saturday, beat J2 neighbours Sagan Tosu 3-0 in a friendly on Sunday... ex-Tosu defender Takuji Miyoshi has joined Hokushinetsu League Division 1 newcomers Valiente Toyama, having been released by Alo's Hokuriku at the end of last year... Tsubasa Watabe, on loan during 2006 at SC Tottori from Shonan Bellmare, has joined Banditonce Kobe. The Kansai League title holders have also signed Masateru Akita from Mito Hollyhock, Tosu Sato from Kindai University and goalkeeper Mitsuru Nishikawa from Kyushu Sogo Sports College... Iwate-based hopefuls FC Ganju Iwate have snapped up striker Yuki Okamoto and midfield player Kinoto Saito from Mito Hollyhock...
... Rosso Kumamoto have announced the signing of yet another player with J-League experience. Tomoaki Komorida, a 25-year-old local lad, joins the club from Oita Trinita, having also been on the books at Avispa Fukuoka, Montedio Yamagata and Vissel Kobe...
The J-League have announced that Rosso Kumamoto have been joined in their associate member status by both Tochigi SC and Gainare Tottori. This means that if they meet the other relevant criteria and achieve a good enough on-the-pitch result this season - which now means a top-four finish in the JFL - they will be promoted to J2. FC Gifu's application is receiving further consideration but is likely to be approved before the end of this year, while that of Tohoku League side FC Perada Fukushima seems to have been rejected outright.
... as well as losing to Mitsubishi Mizushima - reported below - Sagawa Printing staged a couple more friendly matches on Sunday, drawing 0-0 with Chugoku Leaguers Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku and racking up a 4-0 win over Fukuyama University. Daisuke Machinaka, their former Otsuka Pharmaceuticals striker, scored twice... defender Takuya Sugiyama has joined Arte Takasaki from FC Gifu...
The last few weekends have seen five Regional level teams participate in the Miyagi Prefectural Winter League competition, with something of a surprise result. NEC Tokin and Wiese Shiogama play their regular football in Division 1 of the Tohoku League and indeed NEC had a reasonably successful season in 2006, finishing third behind TDK and Grulla Morioka.
The cosy opening ceremony
The other three sides - in what is essentially a competition for the top clubs in suburban Sendai - were Tohoku League Division 2 (South) clubs Marysol Matsushima, Shichigahama SC and Nakaniida Club, the latter having been promoted from the Miyagi Prefectural League at the end of 2006. Marysol, on the other hand, are an experienced Regional team and last year just missed out on a Promotion Play-off spot, having run Furukawa Battery close all year long.
The format of the Winter League is a straightforward round-robin group, with every team playing every other team once over five consecutive weekends at a single neutral venue. It was Marysol who got off to a flying start in the opening game on 14 January, claiming a 3-2 win over favourites NEC Tokin - in the other match, Shichigahama pegged Wiese Shiogama back to a 2-2 draw despite having been two down at half time.
Nakaniida Club’s 43-year-old Toshiharu Kumagai
NEC bounced back into contention with a pair of victories in the following two matches, which included an 8-2 thrashing of Shichigahama, but Marysol plugged away and kept scoring narrow wins. At the other end of the table, Nakaniida struggled and one wonders how they might perform in the coming Tohoku League season, as they emerged without a single point from any of their four games.
In the end, it was Division 2 side Marysol who triumphed in the tournament, as they overcame a disappointing Wiese Shiogama 2-1 in the final round of fixtures on 11 February to complete a record of twelve points out of a possible twelve.
Sun 11 Feb: Marysol Matsushima 2-1 Wiese Shiogama
Sun 11 Feb: NEC Tokin 5-0 Nakaniida Club
Sun 04 Feb: Marysol Matsushima 2-1 Shichigahama SC
Sun 04 Feb: Wiese Shiogama 3-0 Nakaniida Club
Sun 28 Jan: Marysol Matsushima 2-1 Nakaniida Club
Sun 28 Jan: NEC Tokin 8-2 Shichigahama SC
Sun 21 Jan: NEC Tokin 1-0 Wiese Shiogama
Sun 21 Jan: Shichigahama SC 1-0 Nakaniida Club
Sun 14 Jan: Wiese Shiogama 2-2 Shichigahama SC
Sun 14 Jan: NEC Tokin 2-3 Marysol Matsushima
Marysol Matsushima in red get the better of Wiese Shiogama
1. Marysol Matsushima 12 (+4)
2. NEC Tokin 9 (+11)
3. Wiese Shiogama 4 (+1)
4. Shichigahama SC 4 (-6)
5. Nakaniida Club 0 (-10)
The cosy opening ceremony
The other three sides - in what is essentially a competition for the top clubs in suburban Sendai - were Tohoku League Division 2 (South) clubs Marysol Matsushima, Shichigahama SC and Nakaniida Club, the latter having been promoted from the Miyagi Prefectural League at the end of 2006. Marysol, on the other hand, are an experienced Regional team and last year just missed out on a Promotion Play-off spot, having run Furukawa Battery close all year long.
The format of the Winter League is a straightforward round-robin group, with every team playing every other team once over five consecutive weekends at a single neutral venue. It was Marysol who got off to a flying start in the opening game on 14 January, claiming a 3-2 win over favourites NEC Tokin - in the other match, Shichigahama pegged Wiese Shiogama back to a 2-2 draw despite having been two down at half time.
Nakaniida Club’s 43-year-old Toshiharu Kumagai
NEC bounced back into contention with a pair of victories in the following two matches, which included an 8-2 thrashing of Shichigahama, but Marysol plugged away and kept scoring narrow wins. At the other end of the table, Nakaniida struggled and one wonders how they might perform in the coming Tohoku League season, as they emerged without a single point from any of their four games.
In the end, it was Division 2 side Marysol who triumphed in the tournament, as they overcame a disappointing Wiese Shiogama 2-1 in the final round of fixtures on 11 February to complete a record of twelve points out of a possible twelve.
Sun 11 Feb: Marysol Matsushima 2-1 Wiese Shiogama
Sun 11 Feb: NEC Tokin 5-0 Nakaniida Club
Sun 04 Feb: Marysol Matsushima 2-1 Shichigahama SC
Sun 04 Feb: Wiese Shiogama 3-0 Nakaniida Club
Sun 28 Jan: Marysol Matsushima 2-1 Nakaniida Club
Sun 28 Jan: NEC Tokin 8-2 Shichigahama SC
Sun 21 Jan: NEC Tokin 1-0 Wiese Shiogama
Sun 21 Jan: Shichigahama SC 1-0 Nakaniida Club
Sun 14 Jan: Wiese Shiogama 2-2 Shichigahama SC
Sun 14 Jan: NEC Tokin 2-3 Marysol Matsushima
Marysol Matsushima in red get the better of Wiese Shiogama
1. Marysol Matsushima 12 (+4)
2. NEC Tokin 9 (+11)
3. Wiese Shiogama 4 (+1)
4. Shichigahama SC 4 (-6)
5. Nakaniida Club 0 (-10)
... Gainare Tottori suffered a worrying 2-1 defeat to Kyushu League champions V Varen Nagasaki in their friendly match on Sunday... Rosso Kumamoto lost only 1-0 to J1 side Jubilo Iwata... Mitsubishi Mizushima beat Sagawa Printing 1-0 and Ryutsu Keizai University scored a 2-0 win over JEF Reserves in the two all-JFL games... Mitsubishi also played two other friendlies on the same day, both against Fukuyama University, drawing the first 1-1 but then going on to lose 2-1 in the second... the newly merged Sagawa Kyubin SC side went down 1-0 to Tokushima Vortis...
RKU in blue splash around with JEF Reserves
RKU in blue splash around with JEF Reserves
... Fervorosa from the Hokushinetsu League missed a penalty in a 0-0 draw with New Wave Kitakyushu in their friendly on Saturday...
... J1 giants Kashima Antlers crushed Yokogawa Musashino 6-0 in a friendly match on Saturday... FC Ryukyu beat the local Ryukyu University side 4-0 in their game... but YKK AP claimed only a narrow 3-2 win over Kochi University...
... Hideki Matsunaga, the former Verdy Kawasaki, Ventforet Kofu and Vissel Kobe coach who was briefly in charge at Sagawa Printing last year, has joined the coaching staff at FC Gifu... striker Daisuke Yoneyama has ended his loan spell at Rosso Kumamoto - but Cerezo Osaka have sent him away again, for a year at Hokushinetsu League side Zweigen Kanazawa...
... ambitious Hokushinetsu League team Fervorosa drew 1-1 with Kyoto Sanga on Wednesday, having gone ahead as early as the fifth minute... Friday saw them brought back down to earth with a 4-0 thumping by FC Tokyo...
Shock newcomers to the JFL for the forthcoming season TDK SC - formerly known as TDK Akita - may not have a website, but they do have various bits and pieces that are all new for 2007. And here are some pictures of them are.
TDK's new badge
TDK's new squad
I can't help but feel I've got mixed up here
TDK's new badge
TDK's new squad
I can't help but feel I've got mixed up here
... Mitsubishi Mizushima staged their first friendly match of the year on Sunday against Chugoku League neighbours JFE Steel, handing out a 10-0 thrashing in the process... champions Honda FC lost 2-0 to Nagoya Grampus 8 on Friday... Ryutsu Keizai University goalkeeper Akihiro Hayashi has joined Ivica Osim's full international squad ahead of the forthcoming international match against Peru...
... Honda Lock suffered a - yes! - St Valentine's Day massacre on Wednesday with a 9-0 thrashing from Kashima Antlers in their friendly game...... forward Mitsutoshi Watada has joined JFL newcomers FC Gifu from Kansai league champions Banditonce Kobe. Kobe have in turned signed 20-year-old striker Yusuke Kawabuchi from JEF United...
Somewhere over the rainbow, Kashima Antlers give Honda Lock the runaround
...in Hokushinetsu, Fervorosa continue their squad-building with the signing of defender Hiroyuki Kobayashi from Yokohama FC, while four players have joined rivals Zweigen Kanazawa, including midfielder Jun Inagaki and keeper Takafumi Goto from Albirex Singapore... Fagiano Okayama, Chugoku League title holders, have announced that no fewer than twelve new players have joined the club, including goalkeeper Takaya Tsutsumi from V Varen Nagasaki, defender Yasuhiro Nomoto from J2 side Consadole Sapporo and striker Yu Kakeya from Japan Soccer College...
Somewhere over the rainbow, Kashima Antlers give Honda Lock the runaround
...in Hokushinetsu, Fervorosa continue their squad-building with the signing of defender Hiroyuki Kobayashi from Yokohama FC, while four players have joined rivals Zweigen Kanazawa, including midfielder Jun Inagaki and keeper Takafumi Goto from Albirex Singapore... Fagiano Okayama, Chugoku League title holders, have announced that no fewer than twelve new players have joined the club, including goalkeeper Takaya Tsutsumi from V Varen Nagasaki, defender Yasuhiro Nomoto from J2 side Consadole Sapporo and striker Yu Kakeya from Japan Soccer College...
... defender Takeshi Yamaguchi scored for Rosso Kumamoto in their 1-1 friendly draw with J1 outfit Kashiwa Reysol on Thursday... but Gainare Tottori lost 3-0 to Fukuoka University... released by Arte Takasaki, striker Toshihisa Ono has joined Sagawa Printing, while ex-Yokohama FC midfielder Nobuhiro Sadatomi has moved to Hokushinetsu League team AC Nagano Parceiro... ambitious Prefectural League outfit FC Ganju Iwate have signed Christiano, a member of last year's disappointing FC Ryukyu side...
...ex-FC Ryukyu star midfielder Ricardo Higa has quit football after having been released at the end of the 2006 season to join futsal team Nagoya Oceans...
Chugoku League champions Fagiano Okayama have released no fewer than nineteen players as their squad prepares to defend the title in 2007... 30-year-old striker Yuichi Yoda, released by JEF United at the end of last season, has joined Hokushinetsu League hopefuls AC Nagano Parceiro (ex-Nagano Elsa)...
English name - Japanese name - 2006 finishing position
Alex SC - アレックス SC - 7th
Ehime Shimanami - 愛媛しまなみ - 3rd
Kamatamare Sanuki - カマタマーレ讃岐 - Champions
Nangoku Kochi - 南国高知 - Runners-up
Sanwa Club - 三和クラブ - 8th
Sanyo Electric Tokushima - 三洋電機徳島 - 4th
Tokushima Vortis Amateur - 徳島ヴォルティス・アマチュア - 5th
Ventana AC - ベンターナAC - 6th
Alex SC - アレックス SC - 7th
Ehime Shimanami - 愛媛しまなみ - 3rd
Kamatamare Sanuki - カマタマーレ讃岐 - Champions
Nangoku Kochi - 南国高知 - Runners-up
Sanwa Club - 三和クラブ - 8th
Sanyo Electric Tokushima - 三洋電機徳島 - 4th
Tokushima Vortis Amateur - 徳島ヴォルティス・アマチュア - 5th
Ventana AC - ベンターナAC - 6th
