The final match day of the JFA 16th Japan Women's Futsal Championship took place on Monday 4 November, where Bardral Urayasu Las Bonitas (Kanto1/Chiba) claimed their first Japan Women's Futsal Championship title in their 18 year club history.

With both of the semi-final fixtures kicking off at 10:00 a.m., pitch A of Ishikawa Sports Center featured a matchup between Hachinohe Gakuin University (Tohoku1/Aomori) and Bardral Urayasu Las Bonitas. The match started with Urayasu taking control of the ball possession as Hachinohe Gakuin dropped deep to defend their goal. Following the opening goal scored by Urayasu’s NAKAI Hitomi in the third minute, Hachinohe Gakuin started to pickup their pace in offence, as they earned a penalty kick at the end of the first half, but the spot kick was denied by Urayasu’s goalkeeper, SHOJI Aya. With TANAKA Chihiro scoring a goal in the 21st minute to double the lead for Urayasu, the Women's F. League side earned their spot into the final with a 2-0 victory.

On the other side of the bracket, a rematch from last year’s final took place, as SWH Ladies Futsal Club (Kansai2/Hyogo) and arco-iris Kobe (Kansai1/Hyogo) squared off against each other. It was SWH Ladies who scored the opener in this Hyogo derby, as FUJIE Saki captured the goal in the fourth minute. However, arco-iris Kobe responded right back, as KADOI Megumi and KOMURA Misato each scored a goal in the sixth and ninth minute respectively, giving the defending champions a 2-1 lead at halftime. SWH Ladies levelled the match in the 16th minute, when AMISHIRO Anna scored the equaliser. With both sides showing great defence to deny each other’s opportunities, the match entered penalty shootouts to determine the winner. While SWH Ladies converted all three spot kicks, their goalkeeper YAMAMOTO Ayaka denied Kobe’s third kicker, Komura, to send her side into their second straight final.

At the final, Urayasu’s coach YONEKAWA Masao made a bold move, as he changed his starting line-up for the first time in this tournament and started a line-up featuring defensive players. With this new line-up, Urayasu played man-to-man coverage from the halfway line to shutout the SWH Ladies offence, who consists with the nation’s top offensive players.

With the match entering the second half scoreless, SWH Ladies made efforts to break through the defensive tactic showcased by Urayasu but struggled to find ways to create opportunities. The deadlock was broken in the 37th minute, when Urayasu scrambled to win the ball deep in the SWH Ladies territory, allowing HIRAI Narumi to strike a shot from close range. The shot deflected off Yamamoto’s hand before capturing the upper corner of the goal, giving Urayasu their long awaited goal.

In efforts to score the equaliser, SWH Ladies initiated their powerplay and the team came within inches to level the match, but the shot taken by EGUCHI Mika was denied by the goal post. With Urayasu showcasing a persistent effort until the final whistle, the match ended with a score of 1-0, giving Bardral Urayasu Las Bonitas their first ever Japan Women's Futsal Championship title in franchise history.

Coach and Players’ Comments

YONEKAWA Masao, Coach (Bardral Urayasu Las Bonitas)
We started players with high defensive skills, so we felt like we would have our chance to win if we can hold off the opponent’s power-set, and it turned out that our tactic was very effective in today’s match. We gave up a few close opportunities, but overall, we managed to keep the opponents away from our goal. I was going to take full responsibility if we lost the match with this tactic, so I am feeling relieved right now. I am also relieved by the fact that our team has finally won a title.

ITO Kaho (Bardral Urayasu Las Bonitas)
I am so happy that we were able to win the title. We normally apply pressure from our front line, but today we played defence from the halfway line. It didn’t necessarily mean that we were playing passively, because we still played with the full intention to apply pressure to our opponents. We managed to play patiently and execute our game plan. We still have the Women's F. League and the Regional Champions League left for us this season, so we hope to win the triple crown by winning these two titles.

EGAWA Ryo (SWH Ladies Futsal Club)
With Urayasu dropping back to the halfway line and playing a man-to-man coverage with great intensity, it was a very difficult match for us. This is certainly a disappointing result, but Urayasu had the upper-hand against us with their tactics. Our club will be joining the Women's F. League next season, so we hope to improve ourselves so that we can dominate our opponents, regardless of how they play against us. I personally have lost against a team I belonged until last year, so that adds salt to the wound, but at the same time, it gives me more motivation towards next season. I must accept this loss and train myself so that we can win against them when we face them at the Women's F. League next season.

KATO Masami (arco-iris Kobe)
After our team has changed dramatically since last year, everyone worked hard to carry on the traditional futsal style of arco-iris. We managed to display quick transitions and showcased great fighting spirit after conceding the opening goal. The penalty shootouts are determined by luck, so we cannot blame anyone for this result. In order for us to reclaim the title, we just need to get stronger so that we can win the match within regulations time.

JFA 16th Japan Women's Futsal Championship

Tournament Dates: Sat. 2 - Mon. 4 November 2019
Tournament Venue: Ishikawa Sports Center, Ishikawa
Tournament Information