Japanese Non-league Football News

Hamamatsu University provided the shock of the round as Division 2 of the Tokai League commenced its new season on Sunday. The students, promoted from the Shizuoka Prefectural League at the end of 2007, won 3-2 at Aichi's experienced Kasugai Club... the other newcomers, KMEW Iga FC, lost at Honda Suzuka... ambitious MIE Rampole squeezed past Nagoya Club...

Sun 11 May: Honda Suzuka 3-0 KMEW Iga FC
Sun 11 May: Kasugai Club 2-3 Hamamatsu University
Sun 11 May: MIE Rampole 1-0 Nagoya Club
Sun 11 May: Toyota Football Group 2-1 Fuyo Club

Tokai League Division 1 champions Shizuoka FC began their 2008 season with a 5-1 defeat of Konica Minolta Toyokawa on Saturday... runners up Yazaki Valente by coincidence won by the same scoreline against Division 2 title holders Mind House Yokkaichi...

Sat 10 May: Shizuoka FC 5-1 Konica Minolta Toyokawa

Sun 11 May: Fujieda City Hall 6-1 Maruyasu Industries
Sun 11 May: Sagawa Kyubin Chukyo 0-4 Chukyo University
Sun 11 May: Yazaki Valente 5-1 Mind House Yokkaichi

Fukushima United FC won the early-season crunch match in Division 2 (South) of the Tohoku League. They beat newcomers Cobaltore Onagawa 2-0 to go top of the table, keeping their 100% record in the process... also making it three wins out of three were Soma SC, who triumphed 2-1 at shock strugglers Marysol Matsushima...

Sun 11 May: Cobaltore Onagawa 0-2 Fukushima United FC
Sun 11 May: Kureha 0-7 Shichigahama SC
Sun 11 May: Marysol Matsushima 1-2 Soma SC
Sun 11 May: Nakaniida SC 1-0 Bandits Iwaki

1. Fukushima United FC 9 (+7)
2. Soma SC 9 (+3)
3. Shichigahama SC 6 (+10)
4. Cobaltore Onagawa 6 (+9)
5. Nakaniida SC 3 (-)
6. Bandits Iwaki 0 (-3)
7. Marysol Matsushima 0 (-8)
8. Kureha 0 (-18)

Morioka Zebra look as if they may well be able to achieve promotion back out of Division 2 (North) of the Tohoku League at the first attempt. They won 2-0 at Saruta Industry on Sunday... Fuji Club 2003 surprisingly lost at home to Vanraure Hachinohe in the other match...

Sun 11 May: Fuji Club 2003 1-2 Vanraure Hachinohe
Sun 11 May: Saruta Industry 0-2 Morioka Zebra

1. Morioka Zebra 6 (+3)
2. Fuji Club 2003 3 (+1)
3. Nippon Steel Kamaishi 3 (-)
4. Vanraure Hachinohe 3 (-1)
5. = Mizusawa Club 0 (-)
5. = Shiwa FC 0 (-)
7. = Saruta Industry 0 (-2)
7. = Tono Club 0 (-2)

There were just two games played in Division 1 of the Tohoku League on Sunday, 2007 runners up NEC Tokin going clear at the top with a 2-1 win over FC Primeiro... ambitious promoted side Viancone Fukushima will be disappointed with a home defeat by Miyagi's Wiese Shiogama...

Sun 11 May: FC Primeiro 1-2 NEC Tokin
Sun 11 May: Viancone Fukushima 0-2 Wiese Shiogama

1. NEC Tokin 6 (+6)
2. Sendai Nakata Club 3 (+3)
3. FC Primeiro 3 (+2)
4. Viancone Fukushima 3 (-)
5. Wiese Shiogama 3 (-1)
6. Grulla Morioka 1 (-)
7. FC Akita Cambiare 1 (-5)
8. Furukawa Battery 0 (-5)