Japanese Non-league Football News

If during pre-season there had been any doubts as to who was in the running for the Shikoku League title, those doubts have surely been dismissed following the first two rounds of fixtures... champions Tokushima Vortis 2nd annihilated neighbours Tokushima Comprille SC with Koji Onishi scoring five, while challengers Kamatamare Sanuki thrashed promoted side Showa Club... Vortis and Kamatamare are thus the only teams with 100% records... but former top dogs Nangoku Kochi sank into the bottom half of the table following their draw against Ventana AC...

Sun 13 Apr: Nangoku Kochi 1-1 Ventana AC
Sun 13 Apr: Sanyo Electric Tokushima 1-1 Ehime Shimanami
Sun 13 Apr: Showa Club 0-11 Kamatamare Sanuki
Sun 13 Apr: Tokushima Vortis 2nd 16-0 Tokushima Comprille SC

1. Tokushima Vortis 2nd 6 (+19)
2. Kamatamare Sanuki 6 (+18)
3. Sanyo Electric Tokushima 4 (+2)
4. Ehime Shimanami 4 (+1)
5. Nangoku Kochi 1 (-1)
6. Ventana AC 1 (-2)
7. Showa Club 0 (-14)
8. Tokushima Comprille SC 0 (-23)

No team has a 100% record after just two rounds of the season in Division 2 of the Kanto League. Hanno Bruder are top of the fledgling table after their draw with fellow Saitama outfit Yonoshuyukonkai... promoted from the Tokyo Prefectural League at the end of 2007, Aries FC Tokyo met with a heavy defeat by TFSC, while fellow new boys FC Korea also lost at home to Tochigi's Vertfee Takahara Nasu...

Sun 13 Apr: Aries FC Tokyo 0-4 TFSC
Sun 13 Apr: FC Korea 0-2 Vertfee Takahara Nasu
Sun 13 Apr: Kanagawa Teachers 3-1 SAI Ichihara SC
Sun 13 Apr: Yonoshuyonkai 2-2 Hanno Bruder

1 Hanno Bruder 4 (+1)
2. TFSC 3 (+3)
3. Kanagawa Teachers 3 (+1)
4. Vertfee Takahara Nasu 3 (+1)
5. = FC Korea 3 (-1)
5. = SAI Ichihara SC 3 (-1)
7. Aries FC Tokyo 3 (-3)
8. Yonoshuyokonkai 1 (-1)

Title holders FC Machida Zelvia have begun the defence of their Kanto League Division 1 crown well, but still needed an 85th-minute winner against Club Dragons... Hitachi Tochigi Uva and Luminozo Sayama have also won their two fixtures to date... but it's looking like an especially tough year ahead for the promoted sailors of MSDF Atsugi Marcus, who've lost twice without yet scoring a goal...

Sat 12 Apr: MSDF Atsugi Marcus 0-1 Hitachi Tochigi Uva
Sat 12 Apr: Toho Titanium 0-2 Luminozo Sayama

Sun 13 Apr: FC Machida Zelvia 3-2 Club Dragons
Sun 13 Apr: Saitama SC 1-2 YSCC

1. FC Machida Zelvia 6 (+5)
2. = Hitachi Tochigi Uva 6 (+3)
2. = Luminozo Sayama 6 (+3)
4. YSCC 4 (+1)
5. Toho Titanium 1 (-2)
6. Saitama SC 0 (-2)
7. Club Dragons 0 (-3)
8. MSDF Atsugi Marcus 0 (-5)

There were impressive wins for the two teams making their Regional League debuts in Division 2 of the Kansai League. Biwako SC Hira beat an FC Glaspo Kashiwara side who were competing in Division 1 last season, while Shiga FC crushed Renaiss Health & Medical College... Kyoto Shiko Club also managed a comfortable victory over 2007 strugglers Hermano Osaka...

Sat 12 Apr: FC Glaspo Kashiwara 1-2 Biwako SC Hira
Sat 12 Apr: Kyoto Shiko Club 4-2 Hermano Osaka
Sat 12 Apr: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe 2-1 Riseisha FC

Sun 13 Apr: Renaiss Health & Medical College 2-5 Shiga FC

The 2008 Kansai League Division 1 season commenced over the weekend, with results going largely as expected. Champions Banditonce Kakogawa may be operating under a slightly modified name but they still saw off promoted side Diablossa Takada FC comfortably... last year's Division 2 winners Hannan University lost a tricky opening match at Ain Food, who will be expecting to push Banditonce closest this campaign...

Sat 12 Apr: Ain Food 2-0 Hannan University
Sat 12 Apr: Banditonce Kakogawa 3-0 Diablossa Takada FC
Sat 12 Apr: FC Kyoto BAMB 1993 1-3 Sanyo Electric Sumoto

Sun 13 Apr: AS Laranja Kyoto 2-0 Kobe FC 1970