Japanese Non-league Football News

Norbritz Hokkaido took another step along the road to retaining their Hokkaido League title on Sunday, a 3-1 victory at Toyota Motors Hokkaido amounting an eleventh win in eleven games this year. Their nearest challengers continue to be a team who were playing second tier Block League football last season, but Sapporo Winds' 2-1 defeat of Barefoot Hokkaido was their seventh win on the trot.

The key action, however, was perhaps at the foot of the table, where Hokushukai pulled off a shock by beating Sapporo FC to move out of the relegation zone. Sapporo FC have spent just a single season out of the Hokkaido League since the competition began in 1978, but their status now is in serious danger. Blackpecker Hakodate are in trouble as well, as they lost to Tokachifairsky Genesis.

Sun 02 Sep: Barefoot Hokkaido 1-2 Sapporo Winds
Sun 02 Sep: Sapporo FC 1-2 Hokushukai
Sun 02 Sep: Tokachifairsky Genesis 2-1 Blackpecker Hakodate
Sun 02 Sep: Toyota Motors Hokkaido 1-3 Norbritz Hokkaido

1. Norbritz Hokkaido 33 (+43)
2. Sapporo Winds 28 (+22)
3. Barefoot Hokkaido 16 (-6)
4. Toyota Motors Hokkaido 14 (-6)
5. Tokachifairsky Genesis 10 (-14)
6. Hokushukai 9 (-22)
7. Blackpecker Hakodate 8 (-6)
8. Sapporo FC 8 (-13)