Official 2019 Nadeshiko Japan Thread [R] - なでしこジャパン（英語スレッド）

Meanwhile: Women's Champions' League final OL-Barcelona, Final Time: 4-1.

OL was ahead by 4-0 at the half-hour mark. Barcelona scored at 88' only. It wasn't actually a contest.

Saki Kumagai didn't start, but she could play the final 20 minutes, when she was subbed-in for Fishlock.
From UEFA Women Champions' League website :
"Saki Kumagai becomes the first Asian to 50 appearances in this competition (and third non-European)".

Award ceremony going to start: link.

 

Not that I am aware of, except that, since Jessica Fishlock came on loan from Seattle Reign (she's going back to USA after this match), OL had to rotate their midfielders a lot, and the one that was most often sacrified in this season was Kumagai. I guess Fishlock signed for OL because she wanted to play Champions' League (and possibly winning it), so I suspect playing the final was secretely (or not so secretely) part of the agreement. Since OL plays a 4-3-3 these days, and Maroszan and Henry are more or less lock-in, it was most often Saki who was leaving her place to Fishlock.

Anyway, Saki Kumagai was on the pitch once again to win her fourth consecutive Champions' League. In 2016, she was on the pitch for all of the 120' and she scored the winning PK in the penalty shootout (and I was there in Reggio Emilia to watch her!!! ). In 2017, she once again played 120' and scored one of the PKs in the longest penalty shootout ever in a WCL final. In 2018 she started and was subbed-out at 95' only: her substitute, Shanice Van de Sanden, was instrumental to turn the game from 0-1 to 4-1 after extra time. This time, in 2019, she was only subbed-in at 71', when the game was already on 4-0. But she was there, our Japanese record-girl at Women's Champions' League winning!

 

Oh, ok, thanks! They added some names (with numbers from 60 on) since the last time I had read that page!

By the way: do you know if there is an official roster for Cerezo Osaka Sakai Girls also? I tried to explore that website, but I didn't find it.

Edit: interesting that one of the new players' name is Ai Ohara. This Japanese family name is similar to the English one, of Irish descent; USWNT has a player with the same name, but written differently (Kelley) O'Hara.

 

These are the highlights of the game. Kumagai can't be seen much, except in the final celebration (she's on the left of the group):

 

NWSL:

- Seattle Reign-Sky Blue FC 2-1. Kawasumi played the whole game for Sky Blue; Utsugi wasn't even on the bench for Seattle. I don't think she joined Nadeshiko Japan yet, did she? I hope there is no injury involved, at less than a month from the WWC; anyway, Rumi wasn't mentioned in the injury report published on the NWSL website.
Highlights: http://www.nwslsoccer.com/videos/22B61C0F-D65E-5286-A3B5-CD1A38A094F0

 

Oh, my!!! Critically injured? Needing to be dropped from the WWC roster?

 

Just when the World Cup's roster had been finalized and looked exciting.

In the case one of the players has to be left home, how much time Takakura has to have a new call? In case of need she could recur to the "training partners" (Miyazawa, for instance)?

 

A match-day with many draws of course favours the few teams that win (in this case Urawa, catching up with Beleza at the top, although the goal difference is warped by Beleza's 11-0 win vs Nittaidai, and Nojima, gaining one position over Iga) and unfavours those that lose (Nittaidai and Iga ).

Kiko Seike's goal at 90'+3' was huge for Urawa, and was hard for Kunoichis who had gone ahead early with Michigami.

Ehime wins again with former NT members Mami Ueno and Ayumi Oya: could it be their year? Orca, anyway, keeps them in sight, by grinding out an away win with a PK by Mami Muraoka.

I always like to underline when Fumina Katsurama scores!

Belle's away win vs leaders of NGU Nagoya was quite unexpected!

(Are all of these names correct? Tokiwagi: Ruseri Okino; Niigata: Nao Murakami, Miwa Tanaka; JFA: Moe Ota, Mai Kadowaki; Cerezo: Emika Kawagishi)

 

NWSL:

- Houston Dash-Chicago Red Stars 1-2. Nothing particularly special fron Nagasato in this game, but her team now takes the lead of NWSL.
Highlights: http://www.nwslsoccer.com/videos/857C05AE-C43E-A5C2-516F-D2BEB2C84E01