wf114: WE League 26/27 Week02

(Excerpt) It appears there are teams whose hard work during the preseason has paid off, even after finishing in the lower ranks last season. The report also covers the teams that have advanced to the AWCL final rounds and the results of the PFA awards in the English WSL.（抜粋和約）昨シーズン下位であってもプレシーズンの努力が結実したチームがあるようです。ＡＷＣＬ決勝ラウンド進出チームの決定およびイングランドＷＳＬのＰＦＡ表彰の結果にも触れています。

[[[[Foreword]]]]
It appears that the capabilities of managers and staff—demonstrated during the pre-season—have resulted in some teams playing a brand of football vastly different from last season.

The preliminary rounds of the Asian Women’s Champions League (AWCL) have concluded, and all the 16 teams advancing to the group stage have been determined.

In the Women’s Super League (WSL), the Player of the Season and the Team of the Season have been announced. City’s Khadija Shaw won the Player of the Season award for the second time. Among the Nadeshiko players selected for the Team of the Season, Yui Hasegawa made the list for the fourth consecutive year, while Toko Koga was selected for the first time. The results were determined by votes from WSL players, with a rule prohibiting them from voting for players from their own teams.

[ [ [ .WE League 25/26 Week 03 ] ] ]
[ Blogger’s Preview on August 27th ]
Last week’s matches were all decided by a single-goal margin, so there is little point in dwelling on current standings or point totals. Instead, I would like to highlight the teams that took a large number of shots—specifically, ten or more. The figures were: Kobe 12, Hiroshima 19, Sendai 11, Nagano 10, Beleza 10, Chiba 11, and Osaka 16. Hiroshima and Osaka clearly stood out. This week, Hiroshima is set to face Omiya, a team with a strong defense, while Osaka will play against Chiba, managed by a Spanish female head coach. These matchups are especially ones to watch.

[Overall Review]
A total of 16,396 spectators attended the six matches, surpassing the 14,747 recorded in the opening week. While kickoff temperatures varied—ranging from the 21–25°C range to the 30°C range—conditions remained hot. Although top-ranked teams generally secured expected victories, there were two instances where lower-ranked teams won thanks to goals scored during additional time in the second half. Of particular note was Saitama’s victory over last season’s champions, Kobe; Saitama also significantly outperformed their opponents in terms of shot attempts. Meanwhile, young players heading to the U-20 World Cup in Poland were absent starting this week, and it appears that the loss of these key young talents impacted the outcome of some matches.

[ Results of Matches ]
The numbers in the parentheses indicate their standing after the last week. Total attendance of 6 matches was 16,396.

Match1 (8/29 18:00): Nagano (8) 1-4 Beleza (1)
at Nagano U Stadium (21.5C) with attendance of 1,319.
Nagano’s goal: M. Yoshino (34′)
Beleza’s goals: R. Sumida (27′), N. Kitamura (59′, 86′), N. Shikida (67′)
Shots: 3:14 (2:5)

Match2 (8/29 19:00): Hiroshima (8) 2-0 Omiya (11)
at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima (30.6C) with attendance of 8,080.
Hiroshima’s goals: Y. Nakashima (40′), C. Kamiya (80′)
Shots: 20:4 (10:1)

Match3 (8/30 18:00): Urawa (2) 5-1 Sagamihara (4)
at Urawa Komaba Stadium (25.7C) with attendance of 2,519.
Urawa’s goals: M. Kikuchi (48’+1), A. Kawafune (63′, 83′), OG (71′), H. Shibata (87′)
Sagamihara’s goal: M. Otake (37′)
Shots: 15:5 (3:5)

Match4 (8/30 18:00): Saitama (11) 2-1 Kobe (1)
at Kumagaya Sports Culture Park Athletics Stadium (25.1C) with attendance of 1,342.
Saitama’s goals: S. Uemura (8′), M. Sakuma (90’+4)
Kobe’s goal: R. Yoshida (59′)
Shots: 16:7 (9:2)

Match5 (8/30 18:00): Chiba (8) 1-3 Osaka (6)
at Fukuda Denshi Arena (24.9C) with attendance of 1,087.
Chiba’s goal: M. Hasuwa (85′)
Osaka’s goals: S. Takarada (24′), S. Takawa (30′), R. Wakisaka (79′)
Shots: 17:12 (4:7)

Match6 (8/30 18:00): Niigata (6) 3-2 Sendai (1)
at Denka Big Swan Stadium (28.1C) with attendance of 2,049.
Niigata’s goals: Y. Takigawa (21′), Y. Shimoyoshi (47′), R. Shirowa (90’+1)
Sendai’s goals: M. Yakata (6′), H. Shibata (57′)
Shots: 12:6 (7:1)