On Sunday 21 December, the 36th Empress’s Cup All-Japan Women’s Football Championship had four quarter-final matches played as the eight Nadeshiko League clubs went head to head.

Pickup Match 1

Nippon Television Beleza（Tokyo）　3-0（1st 1-0、2nd 2-0） Albirex Niigata Ladies（Niigata）

The first match at Yourtec Stadium in Miyagi was the rematch of last year’s quarter-final between Nippon Television Beleza (Tokyo) and Albirex Niigata Ladies (Niigata). The team that came out more energetically was Nippon Television who suffered a loss last year. They started aggressive offence from the beginning and kept dominating in the opposition’s end. Two shots barely missed the goal by both hitting the crossbar and a freekick from inside of the penalty box was wasted, and the momentum seemed to start shifting to Niigata. In the 21st minute, however, Tanaka, unmarked, headed in a cross from the right flank to open the scoring.

Niigata, down one goal, showed their relentlessness by attempting their own shots in a few minutes after the lost goal. But what made those Niigata players quiet were the second and third goals by Nippon Television early in the second half. In the 50th minute, Iwashimizu Azusa put the corner-kick into the goal at the far side to widen the lead. Then five minutes later, Nippon Television attacked their left flank for the third goal. They kept their rhythm all the way to advance to the semi-final.

Match Detail

Pickup Match 2

Vegalta Sendai Ladies（Miyagi）　6-1（1st 0-0、2nd 6-1） Okayama Yunogo Belle（Okayama）

The second match at Yourtec Stadium Sendai was played between Vegalta Sendai Ladies (Miyagi) and Okayama Yunogo Belle (Okayama). The match turned out to be an unexpected one, even for the Sendai players. The injury to Okayama’s goalkeeper Fukumoto Miho as well as the player entry restriction gave no other choice to Yunogo but having defender Taniguchi Kikumi play the goalkeeper position and trying to defend the goal with collective effort.

The match was played most of the time in the Yunogo’s end. They allowed as many as 17 shots to Sendai only in the first half, having no time for their own attacks. Even though Yunogo had zero shooting opportunities, the match finished the first half 0-0 because of the tough defence by Yunogo players and Taniguchi herself.
In the second half, Sameshima Aya, who was exhibiting various cross balls and penetrations into the middle, finally ignited the series of goals by her Sendai team with her long-distance shot in the 50th minute. The goal made Sendai’s offence more flowing. Sendai fired the total of 27 shots in the second half only to score six goals including Hamada Haruka’s hat trick, her second in two matches. They allowed one goal to Yunogo at a few minutes before the end of the match, but mostly cruised to their first Empress’s Cup semi-final berth in the club history.

Match Detail

Other Results

Urawa Reds Ladies（Saitama）  2-0（1st 1-0、2nd 1-0） Iga FC Kunoichi（Mie）
INAC Kobe Leonessa（Hyogo）　0-1（1st 0-0、2nd 0-1） JEF United Chiba Ladies（Chiba）

Comments

IWASHIMIZU Azusa（Nippon Television Beleza）
We told each other before the match to come out well from the beginning. I think we had some good spurts into the space behind their defence. We never wanted to lose to the same opponents in the same round as last year. In the first half, we kept being denied a goal and that made me feel a little worried. But then the first goal we got was great for our team as well as for Tanaka (Mina) who scored it. The final is going to be played at our home Ajinomoto Stadium. We keep working hard to get to step onto that pitch.

KAMIONOBE Megumi（Albirex Niigata Ladies）
In the first half, I felt like “it’s over”. We couldn’t start the match well, and we were overwhelmed by their strong attacks that kept coming at us. In the second half after we allowed the lead, we had to score goals no matter what, so we could play aggressively up front. So that makes it even more disappoint that we couldn’t play that way starting from the first half. Our team rely more on running and moving around than showcasing fancy skills, but we couldn’t play that way today. Next time we have to be more clutch at important moments.

SAMESHIMA Aya（Vegalta Sendai Ladies）
It turned out to be a match we had never experienced, so I was hoping that we would not panic too much. In the first half, all we could feed into the middle was easy cross balls to defend in terms of the angle and the course. Then we started trying to kick it more toward to the goal, and it led to the goal scored. The first goal was from a distance where I felt like I could get it in. In the semi-final, all we can do is to do what we can do to the maximum extent. We are challengers and we have nothing to lose.

TANEDA Kaori Head Coach（Okayama Yunogo Belle）
Our goalkeeper Fukumoto Miho couldn’t play due to her injury, so considering our strength and the opponents’ strength and after discussing with players, we realised that it was important for all of us to work hard in defence in order to advance to the next match. Our players played earnestly to the new strategy that we hadn’t worked on at all until a week ago. At the very end, all the hard work and determination paid off and we got the goal. I am so proud of them. I just want to praise them because they showed in the very end all the practices we had put into.

The 36th Empress's Cup

Sat.29 November - Thu. 1 January 2015
More Information