Japanese Non-league Football News

The Hokushinetsu League Division 1 is arguably shaping up to be about the most fascinating of Japan’s Regional Leagues in 2007. After Sunday’s round 3, Nagano prefecture rivals AC Nagano Parceiro and Matsumoto Yamaga Club are dead level at the top of the division with a 100% record and an impressive +12 goal difference, Parceiro having beaten minnows FC Ueda Gentian, while Matsumoto put five past promoted side Valiente Toyama.

But Zweigen Kanazawa also have three wins out of three, the latest coming against relegation candidates Niigata University of Management, who like Ueda and Valiente have yet to get off the mark at the foot of the table. Perhaps the most significant result of the day, however, saw Ishikawa prefecture’s Fervorosa beat 2006 champions Japan Soccer College 3-2 - which has the potential to dismiss JSC from the title race altogether, so close is the competition.



Fun aplenty at Fervorosa vs JSC

Sun 22 Apr: FC Ueda Gentian 0-2 AC Nagano Parceiro
Sun 22 Apr: Fervorosa 3-2 Japan Soccer College
Sun 22 Apr: Niigata University of Management 0-3 Zweigen Kanazawa
Sun 22 Apr: Valiente Toyama 1-5 Matsumoto Yamaga Club

1. = AC Nagano Parceiro 9 (+12)
1. = Matsumoto Yamaga Club 9 (+12)
3. Zweigen Kanazawa 9 (+5)
4. Japan Soccer College 6 (+7)
5. Fervorosa 3 (-1)
6. Ueda Gentian 0 (-9)
7. Valiente Toyama 0 (-10)
8. Niigata University of Management 0 (-15)



Goalmouth action from NUM against Zweigen Kanazawa