Japanese Non-league Football News

The main highlights of the Third Round of this year's Emperor's Cup for non-league fans were the exceptional performances of JFL sides TDK SC and Honda FC in knocking out J2 big guns Consadole Sapporo and Tokyo Verdy 1969 respectively. College outfits Meiji University and Juntendo University also deserve considerable credit for eliminating Kyoto Sanga and Vegalta Sendai.

Regional League interest in the tournament is nevertheless over for another year. Okinawa Kariyushi ran Ehime FC close but conceded the only goal of the game in extra time to go out and fellow Kyushu Leaguers V Varen Nagasaki were comfortably beaten at Shonan Bellmare. From Hokushinetsu, Zweigen Kanazawa's remarkable run has taken them past both FC Kariya and Rosso Kumamoto but came to an end at J2 strugglers Mito Hollyhock, while Banditonce Kobe of the Kansai League were swept aside at JFL champions-elect Sagawa Kyubin SC.

The full Third Round results are as follows:

Sun 07 Oct: Avispa Fukuoka 4-0 Tochigi SC
Sun 07 Oct: Cerezo Osaka 4-2 Honda Lock
Sun 07 Oct: Consadole Sapporo 1-1 TDK SC (aet, PK 9-10)
Sun 07 Oct: Ehime FC 1-0 Okinawa Kariyushi (aet)
Sun 07 Oct: Kyoto Sanga 0-1 Meiji University
Sun 07 Oct: Mito Hollyhock 1-0 Zweigen Kanazawa
Sun 07 Oct: Montedio Yamagata 3-0 National Institute of Fitness & Sports in Kanoya
Sun 07 Oct: Sagan Tosu 1-0 Tsukuba University
Sun 07 Oct: Sagawa Kyubin SC 4-0 Banditonce Kobe
Sun 07 Oct: Shonan Bellmare 3-0 V Varen Nagasaki
Sun 07 Oct: Thespa Kusatsu 0-0 Alo's Hokuriku (aet, PK 5-4)
Sun 07 Oct: Tokushima Vortis 2-0 FC Gifu
Sun 07 Oct: Tokyo Verdy 1969 0-1 Honda FC (aet)
Sun 07 Oct: Vegalta Sendai 1-2 Juntendo University (aet)

The Fourth Round fixtures will be confirmed as soon as they become available.