On Saturday 23 November, eight second round fixtures of the Empress's Cup JFA 41st Japan Women's Football Championship took place at various locations.

Pick-up Match1

JEF United Chiba Ladies (Nadeshiko1/Chiba) 1-2 (0-1, 1-1) Okayama Sakuyo High School (Chugoku/Okayama)

In the first match held at Niigata Athletic Stadium, Okayama Sakuyo High School faced a division one side from the Nadeshiko League, JEF United Chiba Ladies.

The match started with the high school side taking the initiative, as Okayama Sakuyo’s coach IKEDA Hiroko later reflected, “We managed to enter the match relaxed and played with great courage to create opportunities upfront. Our defenders also showcased great decision makings to control the game.”

The opening goal was scored in the 16th minute, when ISE Satsuki connected with a corner kick delivered by OKAMOTO Ako to give Okayama Sakuyo a 1-0 lead.

Following this goal, JEF United picked up their pace to apply aggressive pressure against Okayama Sakuyo. With coach FUJII Nana making two substitutions during halftime, the division one side from the Nadeshiko League anticipated for their opportunity to equalise the match.

However, the next goal was scored by the high school side. In the 67th minute, ESAKI Seira carried the ball upfront, giving Okamoto the opportunity to strike a shot that captured the JEF United goal.

With their backs against the wall, JEF United rallied in the closing minutes, as WAKABAYASHI Minori and OTAKI Ami both made an attempt that struck the cross bar. NARUMIYA Yui scored a goal in the 87th minute to cut down the deficit in half, but JEF United fell short from scoring the equaliser, sending Okayama Sakuyo into the third round.

Pick-up Match2

Albirex Niigata Ladies (Nadeshiko1/Niigata) 8-0 (3-0, 5-0) Hokkaido Bunkyo University Meisei High School (Hokkaido)

The second fixture held at Niigata Athletic Stadium was a match between Albirex Niigata Ladies, and Hokkaido Bunkyo University Meisei High School.

With the match being played at their home stadium, Albirex Niigata Ladies took the initiative from the early minutes, as KITAGAWA Hikaru struck the opening goal in the second minute. In the 10th minute, TAKIZAWA Rio showcased a spectacular individual effort to make it 2-0.

Despite giving up consecutive goals in the early minutes, the Hokkaido Bunkyo side continued to apply pressure upfront to create opportunities. In the 16th minute, YAKUSHI Manami and IDA Kumiko made runs to draw attention of the Albirex defence, which allowed SASAKI Miyu to penetrate the open space, but their efforts fell short from scoring a goal.

In this match, Albirex Niigata Ladies struck a total of 25 shots to score eight goals, while conceding just two shots to their opponent, as they got off to a great start with an 8-0 victory in their first match of the tournament.

Coach and Players' Comments

OKAMOTO Ako (Okayama Sakuyo High School)
We were focused on doing what we can and playing with courage, so I am glad we were able to showcase that on the pitch. Our opponent’s speed was at a different level, but knowing they are a team from the division one of the Nadeshiko League, that was somewhat expected. Facing a superior team, our teamwork was being tested, so we kept communicating with each other until the end. Endurance is our biggest strengths, and I feel like we were able to run through the entire match today.

FUJII Nana, Coach (JEF United Chiba Ladies)
The first match of the tournament is always tough, but our immaturity was exposed in this match today. We wanted to dominate the match in both offence and defence by making quick transitions, but we weren’t able to do so. Not limited to this match, but we have been consistently a slow starter throughout the season. Although we managed to showcase some good offence in the second half, it wasn’t part of our game plan and it was too late at that moment. The fact that we gave up a goal from a set-piece shows that we weren’t able to trust each other.

KAMIONOBE Megumi (Albirex Niigata Ladies)
Facing a team from a different category is always tough, but we still have to dominate our opponent in situations like this. Our players managed to enter the match with great intensity and take the lead from the early minutes. I feel like we were able to maintain our focus in defence for the entire 90 minutes as well. (Regarding the team hitting the goal post and cross bar six or seven times) We need to be more critical in front of the goal, especially in matches played deeper in this tournament. In terms of the quality of our plays at the final third, there are plenty of room for improvements.

SASAKI Miyu (Hokkaido Bunkyo University Meisei High School)
We were given the opportunity to play football at a whole new environment. Our opponents were playing at a much higher level than what we are used to, and this match gave us a precious learning experience. Teams from Hokkaido have not been successful at these national tournaments. Even if we can dominate the competitions in Hokkaido, it doesn’t mean a thing if we can’t win at the national stage, so we will do our best to win the title at the All Japan High School Women's Football Championship in January.

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