Goals aplenty in round 2 of the Chugoku League on Sunday, with champions Fagiano Okayama leading the way. They put four in each half past the whipping boys from Yamaguchi prefecture, Hitachi Manufacturing Kasado, and are top of the fledgling league table on goal difference. Just behind them, FC Central Chugoku and Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku both made it two wins out of two, FC Central rather surprisingly picking up only a 1-0 win over promoted side Mazda SC, while Sagawa took the local bragging rights in Hiroshima by beating Hiroshima Fujita SC 2-0.
But the shock result of the round came just down the road in Fukuyama, where traditionally one of the league’s weaker teams, JFE Steel Western Japan, overcame Renofa Yamaguchi 4-1. The former Yamaguchi Teachers side last year appeared to have made significant strides towards becoming competitive at Regional level, with the intention in several seasons’ time of making the push for JFL membership and then J2 itself. But this defeat by JFE calls into question how prepared Renofa are to provide any kind of challenge to the top teams in Chugoku.

Mazda SC in blue are outmuscled by FC Central Chugoku
Sun 22 Apr: Hiroshima Fujita SC 0-2 Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku
Sun 22 Apr: Hitachi Manufacturing Kasado 0-8 Fagiano Okayama
Sun 22 Apr: JFE Steel Western Japan 4-1 Renofa Yamaguchi
Sun 22 Apr: Mazda SC 0-1 FC Central Chugoku
1. Fagiano Okayama 6 (+12)
2. FC Central Chugoku 6 (+7)
3. Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku 6 (+7)
4. JFE Steel Western Japan 3 (-2)
5. Hiroshima Fujita SC 1 (-2)
6. Renofa Yamaguchi 1 (-3)
7. Mazda SC 0 (-5)
8. Hitachi Manufacturing Kasado 0 (-14)
But the shock result of the round came just down the road in Fukuyama, where traditionally one of the league’s weaker teams, JFE Steel Western Japan, overcame Renofa Yamaguchi 4-1. The former Yamaguchi Teachers side last year appeared to have made significant strides towards becoming competitive at Regional level, with the intention in several seasons’ time of making the push for JFL membership and then J2 itself. But this defeat by JFE calls into question how prepared Renofa are to provide any kind of challenge to the top teams in Chugoku.

Mazda SC in blue are outmuscled by FC Central Chugoku
Sun 22 Apr: Hiroshima Fujita SC 0-2 Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku
Sun 22 Apr: Hitachi Manufacturing Kasado 0-8 Fagiano Okayama
Sun 22 Apr: JFE Steel Western Japan 4-1 Renofa Yamaguchi
Sun 22 Apr: Mazda SC 0-1 FC Central Chugoku
1. Fagiano Okayama 6 (+12)
2. FC Central Chugoku 6 (+7)
3. Sagawa Kyubin Chugoku 6 (+7)
4. JFE Steel Western Japan 3 (-2)
5. Hiroshima Fujita SC 1 (-2)
6. Renofa Yamaguchi 1 (-3)
7. Mazda SC 0 (-5)
8. Hitachi Manufacturing Kasado 0 (-14)
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