Happy belated birthday Sameshima-san! さめさん🦈✨おめでとうございます💛 https://t.co/AnmhePPvvR— 守屋都弥/Miyabi Moriya (@22myb) June 16, 2020
My Shark. Time flies, I can't believe she's already 33! I hope she has at least another big tournament in her, next year's Olympics should do (and an Olympic Gold is the only missing trophy for the few remaining veterans from 2011 ). New INAC's kit looks better than I imagined! I now notice that the tweet is from Miyabi Moriya: by now she should have recovered from all past injuries and I hope she can have a good season, when it will start.
OFFICIAL: Japan has withdrawn from consideration for hosting the #WWC2023 and put its support behind @AsOne2023.— Dan Orlowitz (@aishiterutokyo) June 22, 2020
Hmm, that's some news Well, whatever may happen, I'll probably avoid the WWC forum for 3 years, to avoid reading such infuriating lies about the place I live in. (It's already started, like... they'll charge $90 USD for all the tickets?! Think those might be fake, mate) Did the JFA say why they withdrew?
Yes they did: http://www.jfa.jp/about_jfa/news/00025032/?utm_source=jfa&utm_medium=kv/ Winning the bid in three way run after Brazil withdrawn was doubtful, especially whith ASEAN backing AUS/NZL. Instead of forcing the split in rest of the voting members (UEFA, CAF etc..) JFA chose to withdrew and now is backing AUS/NZL. I guess it bought Japan some political good will points within AFC and FIFA for the future. Important excerpt imho: (after google translator) Nowadays, the new coronavirus, which is in rage all over the world, is also affecting the Japanese soccer world. From now on, we need to continue to provide financial support to soccer clubs that are in need, and to regain the daily lives where soccer families can play soccer safely and enjoyably. In addition to activities such as these, the development of a soccer base, and support for SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team), we are further focusing on WE League support and dissemination activities to develop women's soccer, winning medals at the Tokyo Olympics, and FIFA Women's World Cup. We will do our best to support Nadeshiko Japan to win the 2023 championship.
I was hoping that Nadeshiko Japan would enjoy that thrill of a lifetime to play a tournament on home soil. It's really, really sad when the JFA would have used this tournament as a platform to increase financial support to the women's game and eventually implement an elite professional league in Japan. edit: What's up with ASEAN countries supporting the Australia/New Zealand bid? Don't they want the World Cup closer to home?
^ ^ ^ Good question, this. Hope someone knows for sure, but I guess it's because Australia plays in the AFF ... when it suits them. https://www.the-afc.com/news/afcsec...stralia-for-fourth-title-vietnam-finish-third (I was gonna ask that question as, "Why would so many Asian nations support a host bid by 2 countries that are definitely in Oceania?" ... [checks notes] ... "yes, definitely") ↑ Asia(Benh Lieu Song, cc-by-sa)
Not sure how many of you are aware, guys (@sbahnhof sure is ) but NWSL is going to play a tournament called "Challenge Cup 2020" that basically will likely replace this year's NWSL whole season that couldn't start because of Covid-19 emergency. The tournament will be played in a single location (in Utah) for safety reasons (with the teams mostly isolated in hotels) and it will take about a month (from June 27th to July 26th). Well, the Nadeshiko related news are that today the rosters of the teams were released and it looks like all of our 4 Japanese NWSL players are in them: "NWSL veterans" Yuki Nagasato (for Chicago Red Stars) and Nahomi Kawasumi (for Sky Blue FC) will be joined by new signings Yuki Yokoyama (for Washington Spirit) and Yuka Nicole Momiki (for OL-Reign). We already knew Yokoyama was in the USA since the beginning of the pandemics; we weren't sure if Momiki had actually managed to join OL-Reign, but, judging by the rosters, it looks like she did. You are surely aware that earlier this year the Reign had Waived Rumi Utsugi, so she's not part of NWSL anymore. Anyway, this tournament means that, in less than a week, my international updates here on our Nadeshiko thread will start making sense again.
Kumi Nagasato? About the tourney, On top of a few USWNT players, now Orland Pride has withdrawn from the competition. Unfortunatelly the reason behind it was number of Covid-19 cases found among players and staff. Herriman where tournament takes place is a small city under 50k, and Salt Lake county has relatively low number of covid19 cases (comparing to other places in US), still I'm not sure if going ahead with the tournament now is the best idea. Anyway the games will be streamed for international audience on Twitch. EDIT Bringing this back around for no particular reason at all... #NWSLChallengeCup https://t.co/p4tXQIbL1d— Hope Solo (@hopesolo) June 23, 2020
Twitch??! Okay, cancel the whole thing Speaking of Hope Solo, I was reading some very interesting things she said to the police (and nothing as good as "black lives matter"), six years ago this week. I hadn't seen it before, but the whole thing's absolutely wild, even more than the Mark Sampson Metal Pole Chronicles, and she was never held to account... it's, just, I can't support this, eh
The Nadeshiko League will be starting from Saturday, 18th of July. They are playing a normal eighteen game home and away series. Some of the dates and venues are yet to be sorted, but it looks like most of the matches will be played on the weekends. There appears to be no cup matches, though I am not sure about the Emperor's Cup. I imagine at some point there will be a press conference. http://www.nadeshikoleague.jp/2020/nadeshiko1/
Long time no see, everyone. Before the Nadeshiko League opening, I again confirm new important members of every club. Beleza: Ito Sara Urawa: Naomoto, Ueno Inac: Tanaka Mina, Nishikawa, Sakaguchi, Hwang; Engels (coach) Iga: ? Jef: Imai, Okutsu, Imada, Ohsawa, Nakao Albi: Miura, Takikawa, Kono Nojima: ? Mynavi: Matsumoto, Fukuta, Kunitake, Ikejiri Ehime: Ohya, Goya, Hiratsuka Cerezo: ? Nadeshiko League 2 Nagano: Tomari, Kimotsuki, Kobayashi Kazune Nittaidai: zero Chifure: Kawano, Takahashi Asami, Suzuki Sari Orca: Fukasawa, Nakata Yuki Nippatsu: GonNo, Okino Ruseri, Kogure Harima: Irie, Okino Kurea, Hazuki Setagaya: Kashimoto, Nara, Horie Yamato: Hamamoto Bunnys: Watanabe Ayaka Jumonji: Shimamura
Welcome back, @unepommekun. Since I see in your list many players coming back from overseas, I wonder what will happen of the two Japanese players in Italy, Kunisawa and Kato: since the season has been officially stopped for good and Tavagnacco has been relegated, I wonder if they plan to stay in Italy to play in 2nd Division this autumn of if they're going to come back to Japan too.
All Nadeshiko League 1 matches will be streamed live on youtube. 1276436804283928576 is not a valid tweet id
And now, guys, brace: drumroll for the return of... International updates!!! Ok, let's say "international update", singular, because there was just one relevant match: but it had two Japanese players in it, one per team (in these cases you can't go wrong: at least one of them will win or, at the very least, no-one of them will lose). In the Utah 2020 Challenge Cup (the one-month-long tournament that basically replaced NWSL season) that debuted yesterday, Chicaco Red Stars vs Washington Spirit was the second game and the first one with Japanese players: Yuki Nagasato for Chicago, Kumi Yokoyama for Washington. The match ended with a 1-2 win for Washington. Both our Japanese players started the game and they were subbed-out in 2nd Half (Yokoyama at 64', Nagasato at 73'), when the result was already set. No particular action from them, but you can anyway enjoy watching them in highlights (Kumi also seen in "mask-on version", when she celebrates the win from the bench at the end of the game). https://www.nwslsoccer.com/videos/lwmEbYcjfdxCW52WkjXwZtVSDYtehvua
1.FC Köln with Yuka Hirano is relegated despite a 1:0 win against Sand. They are level on points with Duisburg and Leverkusen but have a worse goal difference.
Thank you for the update. So are we looking at a Nadeshiko-less Frauen Bundesliga 1st Division next year (unless there are new signings in the summer)? Remind me of how many Japanese players have remained in 2nd Division.
Your memory is not the best. Because of coronavirus no team was relegated from the 2.Bundesliga but 5 teams were promoted to the 2.Bundesliga. Statistic for the 2019/20 season: Yuka Hirano Köln 16 games 1 goal Yu Ishikawa Meppen 15 games 3 goals Rie Nishibayashi Saarbrücken 10 games no goal Mai Hirata Frankfurt II 13 games 2 goals I had some month ago mistakenly posted the 2018/19 statistic for Nishibayashi (13 games 1goal). Fuko Takahashi who had one Bundesliga game for Duisburg in the 2018/19 season played for RB Leipzig this season and is promoted to the 2.Bundesliga.
No, it is not! And no-one knows that better than @unepommekun, who uses to repeat to me things about 3 or 4 times before they finally enter my brain. Thank you very much for the update.
Meanwhile the women's league in South Korea started: does anyone know how many Japanese players are still in it and in which teams?
Asuna Tanaka is still at Gyeongju KHNP, they're seeking another playoff season - I'll post some other stuff later.