It is a shame about Takeda, because I always liked her as a player. I also like her because she is from Akita and I just support any players from Tohoku, but especially Akita and Yamagata. But once she did her ACL she was never quite the same player. It kind of makes sense that she is retiring given that just over two seasons ago she started matches for Mynavi. She has fallen quite a long way in regards to level of football. Anyway, there is more to life than football.
KLSL - Tsukuba Ladies update At he summer break Tsukuba Ladies were in 3rd place and 3 points behind leaders Kanagawa Uni. A 4-3 loss at home to Waseda Uni saw them drop to 4th behind TIU but with the top 2 both losing they remained 3 points behind. A 2-2 home draw against Nittaidai, the top 2 losing again and Waseda winning sees Tsukuba drop to 5th but they closed the gap to the top to just 2 points Its getting interesting with 2 games remaining, both away games for Tsukuba Ladies vs Jumonji Mare and TIU.
Found them, playing for Birkirkara. Looks like their first game there was on 26th September where Sekura scored in a 7-2 win and Ueda scored 4 in their next game, a 6-0 win on the 3rd October. https://matchcentre.mfa.com.mt/match/50977304 https://matchcentre.mfa.com.mt/match/50977307 https://matchcentre.mfa.com.mt/competition/58570
All 2025/26 WE League Kracie Cup matches will be streamed live on "WE League Kracie Cup TV powered by Easy Sports" https://weleague.jp/news/1744/ The WE League is pleased to announce that all matches of the 2025/26 WE League Kracie Cup, which kicks off on Saturday, October 25th, will be live streamed on its official streaming service, WE League Kracie Cup TV powered by Easy Sports. In addition, free highlights will be streamed on the official WE League YouTube channel on the final day of each group stage match. Details are as follows: [WE League Kracie Cup TV powered by Easy Sports] ■Target matches: 2025/26 WE League Kracie Cup, all 41 matches including the group stage and knockout stage ■ Price: 1,500 yen (excluding tax) *You can watch all 41 matches with one payment ■ Highlights streaming: Free streaming on the final day of each match on the official WE League YouTube channel ・ Round 1 will be broadcast on Monday, October 27th at 6pm ・ Round 2 will be broadcast on Sunday, November 30th at 9pm *Details for the third round of the group stage and the knockout stage onwards will be announced as they are decided. ■How to watch: Details on viewing environment, etc. will be announced around 4:00 p.m. on Monday, October 20th. ■Other: There will be no commentary during the live match broadcast. ■About Easy Sports: Easy Sports is a subscription-based video streaming service specializing in sports, operated by EASY PRODUCTION Co., Ltd. EasySports is an OTT service provider that broadcasts live video of various sporting events held throughout Japan and around the world. EasySports broadcasts official professional baseball farm team games and a variety of other sports live. EasySports' live video streaming service can be viewed for free via a browser on a mobile device such as a smartphone or a computer, and can be enjoyed anywhere, whether on the go or at home, as long as you have an internet connection. For more information, please visit the EasySports official website and the official X account .
@yukihilog on twitter noticed that this Japan U17 selection is most likely the tallest of all previous ones (on average).
As always, it looks like there are few FWs, but it's only because some of them are listed as MFs, or even DFs.
Kumagai? Really? On Ueki, either she scores half a dozen goals at Asian Cup or Nilsen should start looking for new forward before WWC 2027
'Tis the Nadeshiko way to have a whole lot of wingers and forwards with few geniune central midfielders. Having said that, I quite like this squad. I would have preferred Nagano to be dropped for a WE League central midfielder, but that is never going to happen. The games I have watched Kumagai play this season for London City, she has actually been alright. I would personally prefer them to move on from her, but it looks like she is here to stay. I imagine she will get some playing time, but if he plays a back four he has to be starting Koga and Minami against good teams. If it is a back three then Takahashi will play, right? Riko Yoshida could probably play her role. I suspect that Matsukubo will be chosen over Ueki more often than not, but I could be wrong. I am glad Yamamoto is in the team, because she has been very good for quite some time now.
How many teams disappeared or almost in the last few years because bad management or lack of support? Angeviolet Hiroshima (2022), Norddea Hokkaido, LilyWolf F Ishikawa, Bunnys Kyoto (2020) merged with Gunma White Star but almost disappeared last year, Diavorosso Hiroshima.
Wasn't Bunnys originally from Hyogo before Kyoto? They've hopped about quite a lot. Norddea have really dropped. They finished last season quit strong with a couple of wins to put them second behind Sapporo Uni. This year with a new manager and pretty much a new squad they finished last on 1 point. Saying that, Consadole looked like they had improved a lot by winning the league in Hokkaiodo but it's more likely that others, Sapporo Uni etc have not had the players this year. Club Fields Linda finished 2nd A fan video of the last league game - Norddea Hokkaido vs Hokusho High School - 6th September Don't expect a great quality video. DR Hiroshima are still trying to get back to where they were. You might be shocked next week
Happy Birthday to the Nadeshiko Leagues oldest player. Still coring goals too ＼＼HAPPY BIRTHDAY🎂／／本日、10月16日は #南山千明 選手の誕生日✨お誕生日おめでとうございます💙❤️🥳👏#HappyBirthday #HBD#岡山湯郷Belle pic.twitter.com/O7lfNXCANO— 岡山湯郷Belle (@yunogo__belle) October 15, 2025
With Japan's decreasing population this will only get worse. As of last year Japan had less than 30,000 registered female footballers, so it is pretty good they have so many clubs. But clubs based in smaller cities will no doubt feel the pinch over the coming decade. Also Japan's football infrastructure is surprisingly well positioned for this in my opinion. I know we criticise the way football is run in Japan, but the fact they have won world cups at all levels with less than 30,000 registered footballers is pretty phenomenal. By comparison Australia has over 200,000 registered female footballers, but what do we have to show for all that particitpation? Nothing.
Nagano: Players should live every moment in Morocco The U-17 Women's World Cup champion spoke of her experiences at the U-17 and U-20 finals and her advice for the class of 2025.
https://www.jfa.jp/nadeshikojapan/news/00035635 - Google translate: On Wednesday, October 15, the Japan Football Association (JFA) announced the 23-man squad for the Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) for the international friendly matches against Italy and Norway. JFA Women's Committee Chairman Norio Sasaki and coach Nils Nielsen appeared at an online press conference. While many WE League players were called up for Korea Republic's East Asian E-1 Football Championship 2025 Final Tournament in July, many players playing overseas have been called up this time, including experienced players such as goalkeeper YAMASHITA Ayaka (Manchester City), KUMAGAI Saki (London City Lionesses), and TANAKA Minami (Utah Royals). Among the players, SHIMIZU Risa (Liverpool FC) returns to the national team for the first time since last year's Paris Olympics, and HASEGAWA Yui (Manchester City), who did not take part in the match against Spain in June, also makes a return. Coach Nielsen said of Shimizu, "He's a truly high-quality player, so I think he was well-deserved to be selected (for the national team). He also has quiet leadership skills, so I'd like to watch over him from behind," expressing his hopes for a positive impact on the team. Like Shimizu, Endo Jun (Angel City FC) and Koyama Fumikazu (North Carolina College) are also making their first appearances on the national team under Coach Nielsen. Coach Nielsen explained his reason for calling up Endo, saying, "He can play in many positions and is physically strong. While we don't have many left-footed players, he can deliver excellent crosses with his left foot." He also said of Koyama, "He's performing extremely well at his club and is in good shape. I'm looking forward to seeing him bring that same good form and performance to the national team." Additionally, WE League players who excelled in July's E-1 Championship, goalkeepers Okuma Akane (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Takahashi Hana (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies), and Yamamoto Yuzuki (NTV Tokyo Verdy Beleza), have also been called up. With the WE League now in the middle of the season, goalkeeper Okuma has contributed to Incheon Kobe's rise to the top of the table (as of October 15), while Takahashi and Yamamoto are also performing well for their respective teams competing for the top spots. With the AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026 in March next year in mind, Coach Nielsen has positioned this activity as the second phase, explaining, "We've moved from getting to know the players (until now) to a phase where we are more focused on achieving results." This is why these two consecutive matches against European powerhouses are so significant. Italy, ranked 12th in the FIFA rankings (as of October 15th), advanced to the semi-finals of the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 in July, but narrowly lost to the eventual champions, England, in the semi-finals. Norway, ranked 13th in the FIFA rankings, lost to Italy in the quarter-finals and finished in the quarter-finals, but their attacking line, led by Ada Hegerberg and Graham Hansen, is extremely powerful. Coach Nielsen expressed caution, saying, "Two teams performed well at the Euros in the summer, so they are very formidable opponents." However, she also expressed her focus on the two matches, saying, "Rather than focusing on the opponents, now is the time to focus on ourselves. We want to focus on the results and do everything we can." The international friendly match against Italy is scheduled to kick off at 6:15 PM on Friday, October 24th (1:15 AM Japan time on Saturday, October 25th), and the match against Norway is scheduled to kick off at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, October 28th (2:00 AM Japan time on Wednesday, October 29th). Speaker Comments Norio Sasaki, JFA Women's Committee Chairperson Nadeshiko Japan's activities for the rest of the year are limited to the October and November matches. We have been competing in a variety of matches, trying out many players, and preparing for next year. Even in these matches, Coach Nielsen will be leading the team in strengthening their team for next year, taking Nadeshiko Japan one or two steps forward and building a solid foundation for the team. Both matches will be live-streamed on ABEMA, so I hope Nadeshiko Japan fans will tune in and support the team. Nils Nielsen, Nadeshiko Japan Coach This international friendly will be against a very high-quality opponent. Italy, in particular, is one of the teams that came close to reaching the final of the Euros (UEFA Women's European Championship 2025). It is an honor to face such a team, and I believe we can put on a great game. As a team, we have entered the second phase, moving from getting to know the players to striving for results. (After these two matches) I hope to be better prepared for next year's Women's Asian Cup.
An Award for Outstadnig Achivement for Korea DPK well, I guess in this "commitment to excellence" compliance with WADA is not always required...