Vegalta Sendai Ladies ended their season in fourth place of the Nadeshiko League Division 1. They dropped one place from last year, but still finished in the top half of the league table. They have experienced players showcasing solid performance throughout this season. In the Nadeshiko League, they posted two consecutive wins three times, but failed to stretch their winning streak further. However, they never suffered any back-to-back losses. What was further impressive about the team was that they won every subsequent game after posting a loss, displaying their strong mental toughness.

During the regular season, while the team didn’t have to make significant changes in defence, they didn’t have a set of players who constantly started in offence. Fierce competition within the squad might be the key if they were to further advance in the Empress’s Cup. They are looking to finish better than the previous tournament by becoming a finalist this year.

The team’s key player is KAWAMURA Yuri. She has been called-up multiple times by the women’s national squad, and she is the only one who was selected as the ‘Best Eleven of the Nadeshiko League’ this year. Her main role is in defence. However, she can also display her outstanding offensive skills as well. In fact, she was the top scorer in the team with six goals. Two new players KISHIKAWA Natsuki and KITAHARA Kana are also important players for the team. They started most of the matches during regular season. Their performance in the Empress Cup may have a significant impact on the final results.

During this season, the team performed brilliantly at home, but failed to earn points on the road. In this Empress’s Cup, their quarter-final will be played at home, but the subsequent matches will be held at a neutral venue. If they can play without any fear away from home, then they will have a great chance at winning the title for the first time.

JFA-TV (Japanese version only)

Empress' Cup Quarter-finals (12/17)

Fixtures and Results (Japanese version only)

38th Empress's Cup All Japan Women's Football Tournament

2016-10-22(Sat.) ～ 2016-12-25(Sun.)
Quarter-finals：17 December (Sat.)　Yurtec Stadium Sendai・Pikara Stadium (Kagawa Prefecture Marugame Stadium)
Semi-finals：23 December(Fri.)　Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka 
Final：25 December(Sun.)　Fukuda Denshi Arena

Tournament Information
Ticket Information (Japanese version only)