The first round of the 36th Empress's Cup All-Japan Women's Soccer Championship Tournament will be held on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November.
Naruto-Uzushio High School (Shikoku 2/Tokushima) will play against another high school team, Seiwa Gakuen High School (Tohoku/Miyagi). Naruto-Uzushio aims at winning their first match with Yoshinari Koji, who used to play for Gamba Osaka and Otsuka Pharmaceutical, as the head coach. On the other hand, Seiwa Gakuen have been practicing, focusing on Possession Football, which is modeled after FC Barcelona in Spain. They aim at not only winning the game, but also sharing their fascination in football with the spectators.

Jef United Chiba U-18 Ladies (Kanto 5/Chiba), who played well in the Kanto U-18 Women's Soccer League 'Princess League', will meet Shizuoka Sangyo University Football Club Bonita (Tokai 3/Shizuoka), who play in the plenus Challenge League. Oya Madoka, the captain of Jef United, noted: ‘we will play as a united team.’ They are expected to play freshly and high-spiritedly in their first attempt.

Norddea Hokkaido (Hokkaido) will take their victory, which earned them a return to the plenus Challenge League next year, into the coming match against Angeviolet Hiroshima (Chugoku 1/Hiroshima). Although Hiroshima got beaten in the first round in the previous tournament, Tanaka Ayako commented: ‘we’ve been playing in the league, improving our team, for a year now.’ Will they show us the grand total of this season?

JFA Academy Fukushima (Tohoku 2/Fukushima) will play against Fukuoka J Anclas (Kyushu 1/Fukuoka). Both of them are regulars in this tournament. Academy Fukushima have been participating in this tournament for seven years in row and Fukuoka for nine years. Although Academy Fukushima won against Fukuoka 2-0 in the plenus Challenge League, a match in the tournament is more unpredictable than a league match. So we need to keep our eyes on their game.

Apart from four matches above, there will be game between one of the strongest high school teams, Hinomoto Gakuen Senior High School (Kansai 5/Hyogo), and the previous quarterfinalist, Ehime FC Ladies (Shikoku 1/Ehime). There will also be one between two universities, College of Upward Players in Soccer Ladies (Hokusinetsu 1/Niigata) and Nippon Sport Science University (Kanto 2/Kanagawa). Please come and enjoy the matches.

The 36th Empress's Cup

Sat.29 November - Thu. 1 January 2015
More Information