Japanese Non-league Football News

Tohoku League Division 2 (North) champions FC Akita Cambiare dropped their first points of he new season on Sunday in a surprise goalless draw against lowly Vanraure Hachinohe. Tono Club moved into second place behind them after beating Regional League newcomers Saruta Industry, but Tono also have two games in hand over Cambiare thanks to the Tohoku League's erratic scheduling policy. In the third fixture of the day, Omiya Club fell to their third defeat of the year as they lost 4-1 at home to Mizusawa United Club.

Sun 20 May: FC Akita Cambiare 0-0 Vanraure Hachinohe
Sun 20 May: Omiya Club 1-4 Mizusawa United Club
Sun 20 May: Saruta Industry 1-2 Tono Club

1. FC Akita Cambiare 10 (+12)
2. Tono Club 6 (+2)
3. Mizusawa United Club 4 (+2)
4. Fuji Club 2003 3 (+2)
5. Saruta Industry 3 (-)
6. Hokuto Bank 3 (-2)
7. Vanraure Hachinohe 2 (-6)
8. Omiya Club 0 (-10)

The honeymoon of Tokai League Division 2 newcomers MIE Rampole has lasted all of two matches, for after winning their opening fixture last weekend on Sunday they went down 3-2 to Nagoya Club - one of the oldest sides in the Regional League set-up. This leaves Rampole in mid-table but Nagoya go joint top with six points from six. Up there with them are Konica Minolta Toyokawa after a comfortable win at bottom place Toyota Football Group. Like Toyota, FC Kawasaki are still looking for their first point - they lost 1-0 at home to Fuyo Club - but Morishin's FC are off the mark via a 2-2 draw at home to Mind House Yokkaichi.



MIE Rampole’s hard core support at the first home game

Sun 20 May: FC Kawasaki 0-1 Fuyo Club
Sun 20 May: MIE Rampole 2-3 Nagoya Club
Sun 20 May: Morishin's FC 2-2 Mind House Yokkaichi
Sun 20 May: Toyota Football Group 1-3 Konica Minolta Toyokawa

1. Konica Minolta Toyokawa 6 (+7)
2. Nagoya Club 6 (+2)
3. Mind House Yokkaichi 4 (+1)
4. MIE Rampole 3 (+1)
5. Fuyo Club 3 (-1)
6. Morishin's FC 1 (-5)
7. FC Kawasaki 0 (-2)
8. Toyota Football Group 0 (-3)



Let’s assume that Morishin’s FC have just scored, shall we

Two games in to the new season and Division 1 of the Tokai League could scarcely be more spread out. Favourites Shizuoka FC are top of the pile after beating promoted Kasugai Club - their second 5-0 win of the year - but fellow Shizuoka prefecture clubs Yazaki Valente and Fujieda City Hall are right behind them, following defeats of Chukyo University and Sagawa Kyubin Chukyo respectively. While all this leaves Kasugai and Chukyo University at the bottom of the table yet to score a point, they're joined there by old Tokai League hands Maruyasu Industries, 3-2 losers at Honda Suzuka.



That would be Fujieda City Hall’s 2007 squad

Sun 20 May: Chukyo University 0-2 Yazaki Valente
Sun 20 May: Fujieda City Hall 3-1 Sagawa Kyubin Chukyo
Sun 20 May: Honda Suzuka 3-2 Maruyasu Industries
Sun 20 May: Kasugai Club 0-5 Shizuoka FC

1. Shizuoka FC 6 (+10)
2. Yazaki Valente 6 (+4)
3. Fujieda City Hall 6 (+3)
4. Sagawa Kyubin Chukyo 3 (-1)
5. Honda Suzuka 3 (-4)
6. Maruyasu Industries 0 (-2)
7. Chukyo University 0 (-3)
8. Kasugai Club 0 (-7)

Viancone Fukushima and FC Perada Fukushima still rule the roost in Division 2 (South) of the Tohoku League after Sunday's matches, with both claiming their third win in four fixtures. Perada overcame Marysol Matsushima, but Viancone still lead on goal difference after a narrow defeat of yet another Fukushima side, Soma SC. At the other end of the table, poor Kureha remain without a single point after a 5-0 drubbing at Shichigahama SC but Nakaniida SC got their first win of the year in spectacular style, 7-0 over Kanai Club.



The white hot pre-match atmosphere at FC Perada Fukushima

Sun 20 May: FC Perada Fukushima 3-1 Marysol Matsushima
Sun 20 May: Nakaniida SC 7-0 Kanai Club
Sun 20 May: Shichigahama SC 5-0 Kureha
Sun 20 May: Soma SC 1-2 Viancone Fukushima

1. Viancone Fukushima 10 (+15)
2. FC Perada Fukushima 10 (+9)
3. Soma SC 6 (+5)
4. Marysol Matsushima 4 (-)
5. Nakaniida SC 4 (-1)
6. Shichigahama SC 3 (-1)
7. Kanai Club 3 (-14)
8. Kureha 0 (-13)

NEC Tokin's excellent start to the 2007 Tohoku League Division 1 season came to a sudden halt at Furukawa Battery on Sunday, when they were defeated 2-1 by last year's Division 2 (South) champions. Three points behind them and with two games in hand are favourites Grulla Morioka, although they managed only a 1-0 win against Wiese Shiogama. But this year is proving less of a struggle than 2006 for Grulla's neighbours Morioka Zebra, who pulled off their second win of the new campaign at the expense of struggling Sendai Nakata Club. Indeed, Nakata drop to the bottom of the table following their defeat and a surprise 2-1 triumph for Nippon Steel Kamaishi over FC Primeiro.



NEC Tokin win the header but lose the match against Furukawa Battery

Sun 20 May: Furukawa Battery 2-1 NEC Tokin
Sun 20 May: Grulla Morioka 1-0 Wiese Shiogama
Sun 20 May: Nippon Steel Kamaishi 2-1 FC Primeiro
Sun 20 May: Sendai Nakata Club 1-2 Morioka Zebra

1. NEC Tokin 9 (+4)
2. Grulla Morioka 6 (+4)
3. = Furukawa Battery 6 (+1)
3. = Morioka Zebra 6 (+1)
3. = Wiese Shiogama 6 (+1)
6. FC Primeiro 3 (-1)
7. Nippon Steel Kamaishi 3 (-6)
8. Sendai Nakata Club 0 (-4)



Grulla Morioka score against Wiese Shiogama