On Sunday 22 December, the Empress's Cup JFA 41st Japan Women's Football Championship semi-finals took place at NACK5 Stadium Omiya, where Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies (Nadeshiko1/Saitama) faced INAC Kobe Leonessa (Nadeshiko1/Hyogo), and Nippon TV Beleza (Nadeshiko1/Tokyo) squared off against Chifure AS Elfen Saitama (Nadeshiko2/Saitama).

Pick-up Match 1

Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies 3-2 (1-1, 2-1) INAC Kobe Leonessa

The first fixture featured an enticing matchup between Urawa and INAC Kobe, who were both yet to concede a goal until reaching the semi-finals. However, the match saw early action, as Kobe’s NAKAJIMA Emi reacted to a loose ball following a cross sent by SUGITA Hina to score the opening goal in the second minute of the match. Urawa responded soon after, as SUGASAWA Yuika converted the deflection of a shot taken by SEIKE Kiko to level the match in the eighth minute.

After entering the second half with a tied score, the two teams exchanged a goal apiece, as MASUYA Rika scored for Kobe in the 55th minute, followed the equaliser scored by Seike in the 61st minute.

As both sides showcased an intense battle, the game winner came in the 77th minute, when Urawa’s MINAMI Moeka converted a corner kick delivered by SHIOKOSHI Yuzuho. Urawa managed to hold onto the lead to clinch their first Empress's Cup final since 2014.

Pick-up Match 2

Nippon TV Beleza 2-1 (1-0, 0-1, Ex: 1-0, 0-0) Chifure AS Elfen Saitama

In the second semi-final fixture, Chifure AS challenged the defending champions Nippon TV.

The opening goal was scored by Nippon TV in the 29th minute, when KANNO Oto converted a cross sent by MIYAZAWA Hinata. Chifure AS responded by showing great movements in their offence, but the match entered halftime with the defending champions leading by a goal.

In the second half, Chifure AS utilised their substitutions and made changes to their formation to pick up their pace. Their approach finally paid dividends in the 81st minute, when YUMURA Hikaru scored the equaliser. With momentum on their side, Chifure AS came close to scoring the go-ahead goal at the end of the second half, when TAJIMA Minori struck a powerful shot, but her attempt was saved by Beleza’s goalkeeper YAMASHITA Ayaka.

With the match entering over time, it was Nippon TV who found the next goal, as KOBAYASHI Rikako combined with TANAKA Mina in the 99th minute to score the game winner. In a night game that was played under pouring rain, Nippon TV came out victorious, as they enter the Empress's Cup final with their eyes set on winning their fourth title of the season.

Coach and Players' Comments

FW #9 SUGASAWA Yuika (Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies)
Despite giving up an early goal, we stayed competitive and managed to level the match within the first half. We didn’t have this kind of competitiveness during our league match against Kobe, so I feel like this victory was a result of us staying competitive and focused until the very end.

SUZUKI Shun, Coach (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
Compared to our previous league match, Urawa played with more intensity and power today. Despite giving up the initiative to our opponent, our team managed to capitalise on our few opportunities to take the lead in two occasions, which is a huge improvement for our team. However, we gave up two goals from set-plays and that is an aspect we must improve ahead of the next season.

GK #1 YAMASHITA Ayaka (Nippon TV Beleza)
(Following their match with the Nadeshiko Japan) We didn’t have much time after returning to Japan and we barely had enough time to get ourselves conditioned ahead of this match. Regardless of who we face, we were expecting a tough match, but we still had to do a better job to convert our opportunities. We also needed to do a lot better in our build-up plays as well. We are not satisfied with our performance.

MF #7 AZAMI Rie (Chifure AS Elfen Saitama)
I have played with this team for a long time now, and I am very happy that we were able to reach the semi-finals. However, I should not be satisfied with this result, as our goal was to win the title. This was our first Empress's Cup match played at our hometown. Many of our supporters came to watch this match, and we managed to enter the match with great motivation. We must not conclude this experience as just another fun game.

Empress's Cup JFA 41st Japan Women's Football Championship

Tournament Dates: Sat. 2 November - Sun. 29 December 2019
【1st Round】Sat. 2 & Sun. 3 November
【2nd Round】Sat. 23 & Sun. 24 November
【3rd Round】Sat. 30 November & Sun. 1 December
【Quarterfinals】Sun. 8 December
【Semi-Finals】Sun. 22 December
【Final】Sun. 29 December

Tournament Information