The quarter-finals of the 38th Empress's Cup All Japan Women's Football Tournament will be held on Saturday 17 December at Pikara Stadium (Kagawa Prefecture Marugame Stadium) and Yurtec Stadium Sendai.

Nippon TV Beleza (Tokyo), who have already won two top-flight competitions this year, the Nadeshiko League Cup for the second consecutive year and the Nadeshiko League Cup, will face JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies (Chiba). They squared off against each other in the final of the Nadeshiko League Cup, and Nippon TV beat JEF in a 4-0 rout including two goals scored by MOMIKI Yuka. Furthermore, Nippon TV overwhelmed the opponents in the second and third round matches of the Empress’s Cup by tallying a total of 20 goals. We cannot wait to see if they continue their goal-rush and dominate the quarter-final or if JEF can show their resilience by playing a closely-contested match.

Albirex Niigata Ladies (Niigata) is trying to qualify for the final for the second consecutive year, as they will take on AC NAGANO PARCEIRO LADIES (Nagano) in the quarter-finals. Albirex have a lot of match experience, but this year they have not managed to beat AC NAGANO in their previous three encounters. In the Nadeshiko League Cup, AC NAGANO’s YOKOYAMA Kumi, a forward player for the Japan Women’s National Team, scored a hat-trick against them. Yokoyama is also the one who scored the game-deciding goal in the third match against NITTAIDAI FIELDS YOKOHAMA (Nadeshiko Division 2/ Kanagawa). Albirex need to create their own goal-scoring opportunities while defending against one of the league’s top strikers.

NOJIMA STELLA KANAGAWA SAGAMIHARA (Kanagawa) is the only remaining team in this competition from the Nadeshiko League Division 2, and they will compete in an away game against Vegalta Sendai Ladies (Miyagi). Nojima beat the top division team, Okayama Yunogo Belle (Okayama), 3-1 in the third round and qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time in their club’s history. They are promoted to the top flight by winning the second division this year, and they have a strong momentum going into the next match.

On the other hand, Vegalta are a powerhouse team who advanced to the semi-finals in the past two cup competitions. In the centre line of their formation, there are experienced players who have played for the national team bringing a sense of stability to the team. Those players include KITAHARA Kana in the final line, KAWAMURA Yuri in midfield and ARIMACHI Saori up front. The team scored a total of 12 goals in the past two matches. We cannot wait to see if Vegalta can showcase their strength in offence and advance to the semi-finals for the third consecutive year or if Nojima can upset the top-flight team and continue their quest for the title.

Urawa Reds Ladies (Saitama), who have qualified for the final three times in the past ten years, will take on the last year’s champions INAC Kobe Leonessa (Kobe). Urawa have been in excellent form; in their last two matches since the second round, they have been tallying a total of eight goals while keeping a clean sheet. Their key players, NAOMOTO Hikaru and GOTO Michi, have successfully found the target in the previous two matches also.

INAC Kobe, on the other hand, defeated Daisho Gakuen High School with a minimal score difference 1-0 in the second round, while they posted a sweeping victory 3-0 against FC Kibi International University Charme (Okayama) and advanced to the quarter-finals. They are gradually finding their top form as the tournament goes on. Both teams are highly-regarded in the Empress’s Cup with impressive past records. The crashed between the two powerhouses of the Nadeshiko League is a must-see.

After a one-month break since the third round, the competition deciding the top of Japan’s women’s football teams will be resumed this weekend. Check out which teams will get through to the final on Sunday 25 December.

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)