Japanese Non-league Football News

And they're off! The most important season in the history of the JFL has now commenced, with a fascinating series of opening round matches taking place across the country on Sunday. Pre-season favourites Tochigi SC just triumphed in the game of the day, twice coming from behind to beat new boys FC Ryukyu with the winner coming from Satoshi Takahide fourteen minutes from time. A stunning crowd of 6153 people attended the game at the Tochigi Green Stadium. The double-header in Toyama was the other focus of attention for fans of the Japanese non-league game, as last year's surprise runners-up YKK AP eased past ambitious Rosso Kumamoto 3-1, before neighbours Alo's Hokuriku claimed a 1-0 win over the last of the newly-promoted teams, JEF Club.



Goal celebration time for Tochigi SC's Kentaro Yoshida

Elsewhere, star striker Kodai Suzuki's 24th-minute goal set Honda FC on their way to a 2-0 win over Mitsubishi Mizushima, while Arte Takasaki and Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo both gained victories by the same scoreline over Ryutsu Keizai University and Honda Lock respectively. FC Kariya picked up a good point in a 1-1 draw at Sony Sendai - a match that they led for almost an hour - but the early leaders of the JFL are Sagawa Kyubin Osaka, who beat Sagawa Printing 3-0.



Hak Sun Fang sets the ball rolling for YKK AP against Rosso Kumamoto

YKK AP 3-1 Rosso Kumamoto
Alo's Hokuriku 1-0 JEF Club
Tochigi SC 3-2 FC Ryukyu
Honda FC 2-0 Mitsubishi Mizushima
Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo 2-0 Honda Lock
Sony Sendai 1-1 FC Kariya
Arte Takasaki 2-0 Ryutsu Keizai University
Sagawa Kyubin Osaka 3-0 Sagawa Printing