Sunday 4 November saw the remaining eight matches of the first round played out at the Empress's Cup JFA 40th Japan Women's Football Championship. As a result, the teams advancing to the second round has been determined.

Pick-up Match1

JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies U-18 (Kanto/Chiba) 3-0 (0-0, 3-0) Tokoha University Tachibana High School (Tokai/Shizuoka)

JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies U-18 met Tokoha University Tachibana High School in the first match played at Fujieda Sports Complex Park.

Tokoha Tachibana tried to create chances with KOBAYASHI Ririko’s dribbles but came short from creating a goal scoring opportunity. In the 33rd minute, KATO Mizuki reacted to a long ball delivered by NAWA Marina but failed to finish the play with a shot.

JEF U-18 tested the opposing goalkeeper by firing shots at goal, as FUCHIGAMI Nonoka struck a shot from the left side in the 34th minute, followed by HORIKOSHI Yui’s attempt in the 36th minute, but they were both saved by the goalkeeper.

The game did not move much in the first half, but after Coach KONNO Yuiko encouraged his players by telling them to “Create apace by drawing the opponents out of their comfort zone,” JEF U-18 gradually took the initiative of the match in the second half. The long-awaited goal came in the 55th minute mark, when JEF U-18’s INOUE Chisato reacted to a loose ball following a corner kick, delivered a cross, which deflected off the back of their forward TAKANASHI Yuuka and crossed the goal line.

With momentum on their side, JEF U-18 kept on attacking. In the 84th minute, KAI Marin captured the goal with a header, followed by the opponent’s own goal during additional time of the second half. JEF U-18 kept a clean sheet and won the match 3-0, as they allowed only three shots from their opponent. Following their round of 16 appearance from last year, they started off the tournament with a solid performance.

Pick-up Match2

NGU Loveledge Nagoya (Tokai/Aichi) 3-0 (1-0, 2-0) Osaka Toin High School (Kansai/Osaka)

After defeating Konomiya Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki, who plays in the 2018 Plenus Challenge League, at the Kansai qualifiers, Osaka Toin High School made their first appearance in this championship in nine years. The team faced NGU Loveledge Nagoya in the first round, an opponent who is also from the Challenge League.

Loveledge took the initiative of the match from the very beginning. In the second minute, SHIROTA Miki broke through the left and delivered a cross to allow KOBAYASHI Makiko to score the opening goal with a slamming header. Following the goal, Osaka Toin showcased their persistence to prevent the opponent from scoring more goals before halftime.

Loveledge regained their momentum in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Kobayashi dribbled into the penalty area and induced a foul to earn a penalty kick. She took the spot kick herself and drove the ball into the upper right of the goal. The team went onto extend their lead to three goals when Shirota converted a loose ball following a cross delivered by TAKEBAYASHI Yuma in the 61st minute.

As Coach KUMADA Yoshinori of Loveledge mentioned, “High school teams tend to practice a lot and have lots of stamina,” Osaka Toin started to rally back in the second half. In the 68th minute, OGAWA Mai struck the post with her shot. In the 78th minute, Ogawa faced the goalkeeper one-on-one, but her shot couldn’t hit the target. The team stayed eager to score goals until the very end but came short from finding the back of the net, as they finished scoreless.

Loveledge, who has advanced to the second round in back-to-back tournaments, will now face INAC KOBE LEONESSA (Nadeshiko League Div.1).

Coaches and Players' Comments

TAKANASHI Yuuka (JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies U-18)
In the scene where we scored the opening goal, our midfielder sent a brilliant ball towards the centre, and I was just committed to earn results, so I made a run towards the goal. As a result, the ball deflected off my back and ended up into the goal, so I am happy about it. My strengths lie on my ability to run into the space behind the defenders and to apply pressure from the front line. Although I managed to score a goal, I need to make more attempts at goal, so in our next match I will make more challenges upfront. We will be facing a very strong team in the next round, but we will utilise our side attacks and put up a good fight.

HANDA Etsuko, Coach (Tokoha University Tachibana High School)
There was definitely a difference in the level of skills, but more than anything, our weakness was evident in this match as we rushed our plays in many occasions. There were many scenes where we could have scored the goal and our opponents had the upper hand overall. Although many of our third-year players will continue to play in the Tokai League, this Empress's Cup meant a lot for this current team. In that sense, we really wanted to win the match and played against Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara in the next round.

KOBAYASHI Makiko (NGU Loveledge Nagoya)
High school teams can really ride their momentum, so in that sense, we did a fine job on giving them a hard time to start off the match. Knowing that Shirota can break through the flank, I kept on making my runs in the other side or towards the goal. She delivered a great ball, so I just had to tap it in. My strengths lie on my ability to take on the opponents in the attacking third, so I utilised my speed to penetrate the space in front of the opposing defenders. I focused on carrying the ball where my opponents will have to commit a foul in order to take the ball away from me, and it worked out today as I earned the penalty kick. I am glad I was able to convert the spot kick as well.

AMANO Yasuo, Coach (Osaka Toin High School)
Facing a team from a higher tier, we focused not to concede a goal in the early minutes, but our opponents really showcased their advantage in experience. Our game plan was to keep the first half scoreless and attack in the second half when our opponents are tired, but that plan went out of the window very quickly. However, our defence line did a great job to keep the match within a goal, which gave us hope towards the second half. With the qualifiers of the All Japan High School Women's Football Championship coming up next week, we really wanted to score a goal today, but I am still proud of my players for fighting with great aggression. With this being our first Empress's Cup appearance in nine years, I felt honoured to be here. I didn’t feel anything special last time, but this time I was able to feel the history of this tournament.

Empress’s Cup JFA 40th Japan Women’s Football Championship

Tournament Dates:Sat. 3 November 2018 - Tue. 1 January 2019
【1st Round】Sat. 3 & Sun. 4 November 2018
【2nd Round】Sat. 24 & Sun. 25 November 2018
【3rd Round】Sat. 1 & Sun. 2 December 2018
【Quarterfinals】Sat. 22 December 2018
【Semi-Finals】Sat. 29 December 2018
【Final】Tue. 1 January 2019

Tournament Information