Official 2014 Nadeshiko Japan Thread [R] - なでしこジャパン（英語スレッド）

Yes, it is Nicole!!!!
Not so hard after all!!

I think it is a great picture of her!

 

Woohoo! I'm so getting better at this. High-five, 'Basco!

I agree, great photo, she looks super cute there! I would glomp her, then again I want to glomp her already, so...

 

Time for the inevitable year-end lists in the football media.

Each year the Scandinavian football magazine Fotbollskanalen (associated with Sweden's TV4) publishes its annual rankings. These include the world's 100 best male footballers and the world's 20 best women footballers.

This year the jury consisted of Alva Nilsson (sportswriter at Expressen), John Ryden (sports reporter for Boras News), David Larsson (reporter for Fotbollskanalen), and TV4's football experts Olof Lundh, Hanna Marklund and Daniel Kristiansson.

The results were (ranking, age, club, country) :

1. Nadine Keßler (26), Wolfsburg / Germany
2. Verónica Boquete (27), Frankfurt / Spain
3. Marta (29), FC Rosengård / Brasil
4. Kim Little (24), Seattle / Scotland
5. Louisa Nécib (27), Lyon / France
6. Nilla Fischer (30), Wolfsburg / Sweden
7. Abby Wambach (34), Western New York / USA
8. Lotta Schelin (30), Lyon / Sweden
9. Ramona Bachmann (24), FC Rosengård / Switzerland
10. Gaëtane Thiney (29), Juvisy / France
11. Célia Šašić (26), Frankfurt / Germany
12. Anja Mittag (29), FC Rosengård / Germany
13. Nadine Angerer (36), Portland / Germany
14. Lena Gössling (28), Wolfsburg / Germany
15. Ada Hegerberg (19), Lyon / Norway
16. Nahomi Kawasumi (29), INAC Kobe / Japan
17. Christen Press (25), Chicago / USA
18. Eugénie Le Sommer (25), Lyon / France
19. Caroline Seger (29), Paris Saint-Germain / Sweden
20. Lauren Holiday (27), FC Kansas City / USA

They give commentary on their choices (in Swedish) here: http://www.fotbollskanalen.se/dam/

Well, the list is a bit light on asian players. Personally, I might have included Ji So-Yun or North Korea's Ra Un-Sim, but then I'm not a professional sports journalist...

 

I think the same, are they still thinking that all of succes of Nadeshiko after WWC (London 2012 silver medal, Asian Cup 2014, rank #4) is only because of lucky or something like that?

I don't understand that and makes me angry

 

Urawa Reds 2:0 Vegalta Sendai - 30' Hasegawa Yui, 79' Own Goal

A sad day for Ms. Jaws

In Beleza news though, I just now noticed that Ms. Yamaguchi plays for them. That must've happened while I was sleeping.

 

Fixed, because I'm an idiot who hasn't slept in a while. Sorry about that. Good for a laugh, though...

 

Urawa Reds 3:1 JEF United - 64' Dozono Ayano, 73' Seike Kiko, 79' Seike Kiko, 90+3' Fukasawa Risa



... and now we sit, because we know.

 

From Yayoi's blog, her retirement brought some friends out!!

 

The world stopped with too much kawaii-ness

 

Yes, Yanagita and the other is Mai Nakachi

 

I just read Full Bloom's summaries of the two semi-finals. Both games sounded exciting and hopefully we'll be seeing highlights soon. I am a little confused by Beleza's second goal though. It seemed to be Mami Yamaguchi's but it was declared an own goal. Did it bounce off of someone? Both games got good crowds, 3,361 for NTV/Sendai (mostly Vegalta fans I'm guessing) and and 4,315 for Urawa/Chiba.

Also, found this nice photo of Sameshima and Risa Shimizu fighting for the ball. It may just be the hair but Shimizu appears to have lost a lot of weight. Hope she's okay.

 

That is a great photo. Were both matches held at the same place? It seems odd that Iwabuchi would be at the Urawa/Chibi game instead of cheering for her old teammates on Beleza.

 

From the Urawa-Jef Match.
Yamanae asking for some help!

Fukasawa's goal. Strange one.

 

The first goal of both of these matches was against the run of play. In the end though, Beleza deserved to win as Vegalta struggled in the 2nd half, and substitutions came too late. Of course this was their first tough game in a very long time. Just to mention that Haruka Hamada is a terrific FW, a good target player, plenty of skills, not to mention aerial power..... but Vegalta were well beaten in MF in the end, and she got little supply in the 2nd half.

But JEF should have wrapped up their win by HT only to miss chance after chance. By game's end they still probably out-shot Urawa. Sugasawa was terrific in the air, but others have regrets. Some photos:
Great battle between two technically superb players, Wada and Anzai:
Tremendous power header goal by Dozono:
Naomoto (who will be missed in the Final) with Urawa friend Sayaka (whose autograph I asked her to repeat in English letters because I had no idea who she was) -
Sugasawa power header, leading to the consolation goal:

 

Yes, in fact the same Tokyo stadium that the SFs and Final of IWCC2014 was held. Its modern and clean, but very simple in design, not great for atmosphere as it feels too open. Probably cold too from what I remember!

I dont think Shimizu was ever more than a match or at most a candle?!?
That was an OG for sure. Even if Yamaguchi brushed it, she wont get it..... GK Cameron should not have been off her line.... and a few hours later, Gk Yamane hadnt learned that lesson either.

By the way, Yayoi K actually came on as a sub for about 10 minutes today. So she may play in the Final.

Big news from FullBloom - and fair-play to a good player, quite a journey to make:
Watanabe Ayaka has moved from INAC Kobe Leonessa to Albirex Niigata Ladies.
She was with someone else before? I think AS Sayama.

Edit - more news from same source:
Matsuda Takeo has been appointed as the new INAC Kobe manager. He won numerous titles with Beleza and more recently managed Saitama.
By the way, the recent INAC manager, former manager of Myanmar was it? Obviously he follows Maeda out the door.

There will be other moves - and I wonder if Yuri Kawamura is making a big leap?
Huge tears after losing today, as if its goodbye to Vegalta forever.... or maybe it just the Empress Cup she wanted.

 

Another fun banner!

 

One more to leave INAC? I learned no real secrets in Japan, but I did hear that a certain young DF whose initials are SM is likely to play near me next year. Once the USWNT convene its big camp (early May) there would be an opening to give her NWSL playing time.

i think she was outstanding yesterday. Can Shibata and Kishikawa silence her and Hara (who might have received a RC for retaliation against Kawamura)? I doubt it!