The 38th Empress’s Cup All Japan Women’s Football Tournament is scheduled to start on Saturday 22 October, deciding the best women’s football team in Japan. Total of 48 teams are looking to compete in the final on Sunday 25 December. Let’s take a look at the previous championship.

The 48 teams from the Nadeshiko League, high schools and universities participated in the 37th Empress’s Cup and competed in knock-out format for two months.

Up to third round of the championship, the university teams, including Waseda University (Kanto/Tokyo) and Daito Bunka University (Kanto/Saitama), the lower-division teams including Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara(Nadeshiko League Division 2/ Kanagawa）and ANGE VIOLET HIROSHIMA (Nadeshiko League Division 2/ Hiroshima) were fighting to remain in the competition, but only the top flights (Nadeshiko League, Division 1)  got through to the quarter-finals.

Four teams who advanced to the semi-finals were all powerhouses of the Nadeshiko League, namely Nippon TV Beleza (Tokyo), Albirex Niigata Ladies (Niigata), Vegalta Sendai Ladies (Miyagi), and INAC Kobe Leonessa (Hyogo). The match between Nippon TV Beleza, the winner of the 36 Empress’s Cup, and Niigata were tied 1-1 after extra-time and extended to penalty shoot-out. Niigata goalkeeper FUKUMURA Kanae stopped three penalties and led the team to the final for the third time after two years.

Sendai met INAC Kobe in another semi-final match. Sendai took the early intiative of the match, but gradually INAC Kobe found their rhythm as they took control of the middle of the field. In the 39th minute, OHNO Shinobu slotted the opener from the scramble in front of the goal after a corner kick. Taking the positive momentum into the second half, NAKAJIMA Emi scored the second goal and extended their lead. The scoreline remained the same until the final whistle, and INAC Kobe, similar to Niigata, advanced to the final after missing out the chance to play in the last match of the previous tournament.

The final between Niigata and INAC Kobe was held in Todoroki Athletics Stadium, which attracted 20,397 spectators. It has been the biggest turn out since the beginning of the single-sponsorship championship. It was also the last match for SAWA Homare, and people may have come to see her for the one last time.

Highly anticipated match between Niigata and INAC Kobe was hard-fought from the beginning. Niigata was aiming to avenge the loss to INAC Kobe in the finals of the 33rd (2011) and the 35th (2013), while INAC Kobe was dedicated to win this championship for their retiring star player.

While INAC Kobe strung swift attacks by KAWASUMI Nahomi and Nakajima, Niigata defended solidly and KAMIONOBE Megumi initiated the offence from both sides. In the 24th minute, Niigata threatened the opponents with a cross ball, where SAEKI Aya connected with a header, but failed to score the opener. While both teams continued to menace each other’s goal, they could not capitalise on their scoring opportunities.

Both team entered the break scoreless and the match stayed in the balance until the 78th minute of the second half, where INAC Kobe from a corner taken by Kawasumi found Sawa in the far post, and she, in turn, successfully headed home a much-awaited opener. It was a confidence builder as a former national-team star scored the opening goal, and INAC Kobe defended tenaciously until the final whistle to earn the title of the 37th Empress Cup for the fifth time in their history.

Sawa later expressed her joy for winning the final game of her football career, ‘I am over the moon that we won the championship. I was aiming to score a goal and I am enthralled to do so. I am simply without words that I could finish my career on a high note’. 

38th Empress's Cup All-Japan Women's Football Championship

2016-10-22(Sat.)～2016-12-25(Sun.)

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