Merry Chistmas! I'm awake now. The Cup started on TV at 11:20pm. People are staring to upload the match on the tube. Here's one of the PV from the end zone (Inac side). Still can't believe my girl Emi missed her kick.
It was difficult to hear the commentators on TV as the cheering section for Albi was quite loud. From the PK video Ican see why. Niigata really supports their tea, well.
I wonder if the fact that the PKs were taken under INAC's curve could have been a factor. Anyway, this video reassures me about the fact that in the end Hina Sugita gave high five to each one of the other INAC players, Rika Masuya included!
Merry Christmas from the U.S. I don't post very often but I enjoy reading everyone's thoughts and observations. It is one of the highlights of my mornings. I look forward to reading more in 2017. I suppose things will be pretty quiet until the Algarve Cup but I am sure it will be here before we know it.
It is true that you don't post very often, dakota701, but I like when you do! Your good intention for 2017: post more often!
Introduction of high school tournament 6: http://www.jfa.jp/news/00012221/ Hokkaido Bunkyodai Meisei Kitasuma Senshudai Kitagami Hiroshima Bunkyodai Fuzoku
Nanase Kiryu and Nozomi Fujita??? Hadn't both retired? Well, if Belle becomes a shelter for former fan-favourites who had retired early from the game, it can be a very interesting club again!
Lol, it's especially the youngsters, I see: Nakada, Kyokowa, Takenaka... Who's the last up to climb up the stage? Sugita?
University (Inter-Collegiate) Championship round 2 results: Nippon Sport Science University 2-1 IPU Women's College Tokyo International University 1-4 Shizuoka Sangyo University Himeji Dokkyo University 1-1 (PK 2-4) Kanagawa University Toyo University 2-0 Tokuyama University Musashigaoka College 1-0 Shikoku University Aichi Toho University 0-8 Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences Niigata University of Health and Welfare 7-2 Otemon Gakuin University Teikyo Heisei University 0-4 Waseda University Quarter-Finals (Dec 28) Nippon Sport Science University - Shizuoka Sangyo University Kanagawa University - Toyo University Musashigaoka College - Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences Niigata University of Health and Welfare - Waseda University
Introduction of high school tournament 7: http://www.jfa.jp/news/00012230/ Hanasaki Tokuharu Fukuoka Jyogakuin Shutoku Sanyo
Introduction of high school tournament 8: http://www.jfa.jp/news/00012240/ Takaoka Shogyo Kagawa Nishi Tokiwagi (GK Suzuki, Okino) Yanagigaura Tokiwagi vs Yanagigaura might be an interesting match, because Yanagigaura became a Kyusyu champion by beating Kamimura at the final.
Today's result: University Championship Nittaidai (Nippon Sport Science University) 1-0 Shizuoka Sangyo Kanagawa 2-0 Toyo Musashigaoka 1-0 Daitaidai (Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences) Niigata 0-3 Waseda
A late penalty by Ashleigh Sykes gives an away win vs Melbourne Victory to Canberra United and keeps them at 1st place in Aussie W-League. As usual, Yukari Kinga was on the pitch for the whole match, as a MF. http://www.canberraunited.com.au/ar...y-v-canberra-united/2h2ntw40vkfm1dk284ruvh4jf
In an article about last week's Canberra United's win vs Brisbane Roar, coach Rae Dower shows unconditional praise for our veteran: "Players of influence Yukari Kinga stood out as the player to watch – the stabilising influencer on the game. She inserted herself when needed, filling in gaps out wide when she saw that others had drifted to central positions, but as soon as attack broke down, she retreated to fill the space in front of either the back three or four, depending on the phase in the game. When asked how important Yukari Kinga is to the team in attack and defence, Dower was glowing. “Kinga’s just brilliant – she’s played her entire career as a right back but she knows the game so well, she’s such a smart footballer. Her touch on the ball, she’s that perfect link person in that number 6 role. She can break down the attack then look to launch the counter – her passing is exquisite at times. The timing of her tackles, she’s everything you want from a good number 6.”"
Interesting tidbits about Empress' Cup 2016: 1) Nippon TV Beleza wasn't in the final, but they get the best scorers of the competition: Narumi Miura with 6 goals and Yuka Momiki with 5 goals (incidentally, they were both part of U-20 NT at recent WWC in December). 6 other different players follow at 3 goals each (Beleza's Yu Nakasato and Yui Hasegawa, INAC's Mai Kyokawa and Ayaka Michigami, Vegalta's Saori Arimachi and Nittaidai's Shoko Uemura): out of these ones, Kyokawa and Michigami have at least also scored their respective PKs in the final's penalty shooutout. 2) Winner team INAC Kobe Leonessa never won a match in regular time since quarter-finals: they had to wait for extra-time to prevail in the quarter-finals vs Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies (Michigami at 123') and in the semi-finals vs Vegalta Sendai Ladies (Kyokawa at 102' and 108') and they even had to recur to penalty shootout in the final match! 3) The teams who disputed Empress' Cup's final had lived a less than stellar 2016 season before that: they finished respectively 2nd (INAC) and 5th (Albirex) in Nadeshiko League Division 1 and they were both out at group stage in Nadeshiko League Cup! If I'll have time, I am probably going to calculate seasonal scorers 2016 from all main Japanese women's club competitions (Nadeshiko League Division 1, Nadeshiko League Cup, Empress' Cup). not sure if iit's going to feature at the end of this thread or at the beginning of 2017 one: stay tuned!
You can watch all games of high school tournament on the following channel. http://www.tbs.co.jp/joshisoccer/ I'll see Hinomoto vs Seisa on channel 1 from 10:30 today.
Introduction of Youth Championship 1: http://www.jfa.jp/news/00012245/ Cerezo Osaka Sakai Girls (familiar faces a lot; do you recognize Kitamura?) Vicsale Okinawa FC Nabiita Albirex Niigata Ladies U18 Inac Kobe Leoncina