On Saturday 3 November, the second day of the JFA 15th Japan Women's Futsal Championship took place at Kanazawa, Ishikawa to determine the four teams advancing to the final round.

In Group A, VEEX Ishikawa Ladies (Host/Ishikawa) who marked back-to-back wins in day one faced Espolada Hokkaido Irneve (Hokkaido) who were also undefeated with a win and a draw. The match entered the second half scoreless, but it was VEEX Ishikawa Ladies who opened the scoring in the 14th minute with SHINOZAKI Keiko’s goal. In the 18th minute, HIRANO Sayaka’s shot from distance extended the lead for the Ishikawa side to make it 2-0. In efforts to rally back, Espolada Hokkaido Irneve employed their powerplay in the closing minutes of the match, but VEEX Ishikawa Ladies applied aggressive pressure to force turnovers and added two more goals to their tally. As a result, VEEX Ishikawa Ladies won the match with a final score of 4-0 and topped the league with three consecutive victories. In the remaining match, Members of the GANG (Tokai2/Mie) won 1-0 against Kalebitch Ehime Ladies (Shikoku/Ehime) to show their pride of the third-place finisher of last year’s tournament.

The two teams who marked two wins in day one, arco-iris Kobe (Kansai2/Hyogo) and VEEX Tokyo Ladies (Kanto1/Tokyo), clashed for the top spot in Group B. The inaugural Women's F. League champions, arco-iris Kobe took the initiative of the match in the first half, as they struck a total of 15 shots, but came short from capturing the goal against the VEEX Tokyo Ladies goalkeeper MORI Tomomi. With the match entering the closing minutes of the second half scoreless, VEEX Tokyo Ladies prepared to utilise their powerplay, but arco-iris Kobe applied aggressive pressure from the front line to deny the Tokyo side from making their substitution. As a result, arco-iris Kobe managed to keep their group lead with a 0-0 tie and VEEX Tokyo Ladies who conceded zero goals in the three matches played, were eliminated from the group stage.

Group C leaders SWH Ladies Futsal Club (Kansai1/Hyogo) who marked two wins in day one faced FUGADOR Sumida Ladies (Kanto3/Tokyo) who trailed them with a win and a draw. SWH Ladies took the lead in the seventh minute when FUJIE Saki captured the opener. Despite the comment of Coach KAMIKUBO Yoshitaka after the match, “We have not spent much time working on our defence,” their defence led by goalkeeper YAMAMOTO Ayaka showcased a solid performance to deny FUGADOR Sumida Ladies from creating opportunities. Coach TITAZUMI Tomohiro of FUGADOR Sumida Ladies attempted their powerplay in efforts to level the match but failed to find the equaliser before the final whistle. As a result, SWH Ladies secured their spot into the final round with their three wins. Laufen (Hokushinetsu2/Toyama) won their match against Colac,o Fukuoka (Kyushu/Fukuoka) 5-1 to finish as the runners-up.

The defending champions, Fukui Maruoka RUCK (Hokushinetsu1/Fukui) showcased their deep roster in Group D, as they rotated their goalkeeper in all three matches of the group stage. They took a commanding lead early in the match as KITAGAWA Kana earned a brace while IKEUCHI Aki scored a goal to make the match 3-0 by the fifth minute mark. The Fukui side utilised the players who had limited playing time in this tournament and won the match 4-0 against Unofut Dione (Chugoku/Okayama) to lock up their top spot of the group. In the other match of this group, SHRINE LFC (Tohoku1/Aomori) won the match 3-2 against the Women's F. League side, FUCHU ATHLETIC F.C. PRIMEIA (Kanto2/Tokyo) to earn their first win of the tournament.

The tournament will conclude on Sunday 4 November, as VEEX Ishikawa Ladies face arco-iris Kobe, while SWH Ladies Futsal Club will play against Fukui Maruoka RUCK in the semi-finals. The winner of each match will square off in the final that will kick-off at 14:00 on the same day to determine the national champions.

Coaches and Players' Comments

TAKAHASHI Yui (VEEX Ishikawa Ladies)
Although we managed to secure our spot into the final round, considering our average age, it was a very tough process. With the help of the young players, we made it through. We were just desperate to win the match, as we scored two goals from our powerplay. My teammates helped me push forward and force turnovers upfront. We will give our best to display an entertaining futsal in the semi-finals by showcasing our persistence and fusion among the veterans and the youngsters.

MORI Tomomi (VEEX Tokyo Ladies)
I have experienced a similar situation where we conceded a goal from a failed attempt from our powerplay and got eliminated from the group stage with goal differentials. This tournament has made us realise the importance of scoring goals, especially to make deep runs in coemptions like this. We should be proud of the fact we kept a clean sheet through out the tournament, including our match against arco-iris Kobe. We just need to improve on our ability to score goals. The same thing can be said for our Kanto League results, as we have been conceding less goals, we have also been scoring very few goals. We hope to utilise this experience to improve our results at the Kanto League and seek for revenge at the Regional Champions League.

SUTO Yuria (Laufen)
After returning from the Youth Olympics, I had to catch up with the team by learning all the set-plays. I was surprised by how much the team has improved over the course. This was my first time playing in this championship, but I felt the need to improve my one-on-one skills and my ability to respond to the ball in the air. It was also my first time playing under so many spectators and as much as I had fun, I also felt that I still have long ways to go. We will now recoup to set our eyes on the tournaments in Toyama and strive to beat Fukui Maruoka RUCK in the Hokushinetsu competitions.

KATSUMATA Riho (FUGADOR Sumida Ladies)
Although the match was only 12 minute-halves, we felt like we could have shown the FUGADOR colour under this circumstance. Compared to last year, we did manage to showcase a sense of unity in this tournament. Although I managed to take quite a few shots, our opponents showcased good defence to deny my opportunities. We are now eliminated from this tournament, so we will reset our minds to win the Kanto League and prepare ourselves ahead of the Regional Champions League.

KAMIKUBO Yoshitaka, Coach (SWH Ladies Futsal Club)
We have set our emphasis on our offence rather than defence. Compared to our performances in the past, I feel like we have showcased a great sense of unity. We normally don’t see powerplays at the Kansai League, but we managed to defend against FUGADOR’s powerplay that was very high-level. We failed to advance through the final rounds last year and left with a very bitter taste, so we are looking forward for day three this year and our match against Fukui Maruoka RUCK.

MATSUDA Daijiro, Coach (FUCHU ATHLETIC F.C. PRIMEIA)
This was my first national tournament, but we struggled to adjust with the long travel and the 24-minute match duration. As a result, we conceded a goal within a minute in two out of three matches. Compared to the league matches, many of our players couldn’t showcase their usual performances. In that sense, VEEX Ishikawa has the upper hand in term of experience, and they knew exactly what they needed to do. That could have been the deciding factor. We still have the advantage to play at the Women’s F. League, so we will gain experience there and heighten our overall level to become a team that can earn results at these national competitions.

JFA 15th Japan Women's Futsal Championship

Tournament Dates: Fri. 2 - Sun. 4 November 2018
Tournament Venue: Ishikawa Sports Center, Ishikawa Prefecture
Tournament Information