wf092: .WE League 2025/26 League Cup Final, Week 20 & Nadeshiko League 2026 Week 08

[ [ [ .WE League Cup Final ] ] ]
April 29, Wednesday, 2026
Omiya 1-1 (et. 1-1, PK 1-3) Beleza
at Uvance Todoroki Stadium by Fujitsu with attendance of 12,006.
Omiya’s goals: H. Nishio (3′), M. Sakaguchi (114′)
Beleza’s goals: R. Kobayashi (61′), N. Kitamura (100′)
Shots: 9:16

[ Blogger’s Review ]
I watched the match on BS TV Tokyo, and it was a very good game. I was moved so much. Both Beleza and Omiya had many players suffering from cramps, which is the proof of the passion they put into the game. The 12,006 spectators must have felt the excitement as they headed home.

Omiya displayed excellent physicality, reflecting their recent good form, and maintained their sharpness for the entire 120 minutes.

Beleza may have been affected by the injury absence of Oto Sugano.

Below are some players and their characteristics that made a strong impression on me. For Omiya, Mone Sato’s defensive ability, Ruka Norimatsu’s smile, Yuma Saito’s up-and-down movements, and Moeno Sakaguchi’s presence. For Beleza, Momoka Honda’s crosses, Yuna Aoki’s usual performance, Miharu Shinjo’s high abilities of covering and running, Rikako Kobayashi’s runs behind the defense, Moka Hiwatari’s dedication, and Azusa Ishimizu’s penalty kick.


[ [ [ .WE League 2025/26 Week 20 ] ] ]

[ Blogger’s Preview on April 29th ]
The title race has narrowed down to Kobe and Urawa, with a six-point difference between them with three matches remaining. If the point difference becomes seven points after this week, Kobe will clinch the title. This will only happen if Kobe accumulates more points than Urawa. Kobe will play bottom-placed Nagano at home, while Urawa will play sixth-placed Sendai at home. Kobe has a very high chance of winning, so Urawa needs a victory to keep their title hopes alive.

[Overall Review]
With Kobe winning and Urawa losing, Kobe’s lead in points widened to nine with two matches remaining, securing the championship. Beleza and Omiya may have been feeling the fatigue from their grueling League Cup finals.
Kobe has two draws and two losses so far. Their losses to Hiroshima and Niigata were both by a single goal. They drew with Urawa and Osaka. They steadily accumulated three points in their remaining matches. The presence of young goalkeeper Akane Okuma seems to have been significant. Of course, the consistent performances of key players Shiori Miyake, Yui Narumiya, and Riko Yoshida were undoubtedly the driving force behind their championship.
In the top scorer race, Riko Yoshida, with two goals, is in sole possession of first place.

[ Results of Matches ]
Match1 (5/2): Niigata 0-0 Omiya at Denka Big Swan Stadium with attendance of 2,111.
Shots: 11:11 (4:1)

Match2 (5/2): Sagamihara 1-2 Saitama at Sagamihara Gion Stadium with attendance of 2,979.
Sagamihara’s goal: M. Otake (68′)
Saitama’s goals: N. Ikuta (21′), S. Uemura (64′)
Shots: 15:6 (9:3)

Match3 (5/3): Chiba 0-1 Osaka at ZA Oripli Stadium with attendance of 600.
Osaka’s goal: S. Takarada (29′)
Shots: 9:10 (4:4)

Match4 (5/3): Hiroshima 2-0 Beleza at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima with attendance of 6,295.
Hiroshima’s goals: S. Ri (9′), M. Ueno (43′)
Shots: 12:9 (8:2)

Match5 (5/3): Urawa 0-1 Sendai at Urawa Komaba Stadium with attendance of 2,176.
Sendai’s goal: W. Onishi (83′)
Shots: 2:7 (0:3)

Match6 (5/3): Kobe – Nagano at Noevir Stadium Kobe with attendance of 2,853.
Kobe’s goal: R. Yoshida (2′, 70′), A. Kuwabara (19′), OG (58′), A. Tsujisawa (86′)
Nagano’s goal: H. Takahashi (61′)
Shots: 28:7 (6:5)

[ [ [ Nadeshiko League 2026 Week 08 ] ] ]

[ Blogger’s Preview on April 29th ]
This week is packed with top-of-the-table clashes. League leaders Shizuoka will face second-placed Miyazaki (tied for points), third-placed Nagoya will play fifth-placed Kamogawa, and fourth-placed Iga will play sixth-placed Yunogo. In all these matches, the higher-ranked teams will play at home, but the games are expected to be close. The remaining matches between lower-ranked teams will also be exciting, with teams vying for points.

[ Overall Review ]
The Shizuoka vs. Miyazaki match was a heated contest befitting a battle for the top spot. Shizuoka’s goalkeeper, Harumi Taya, is simply outstanding. Of course, Kumi Yokoyama is also exceptional. It seemed that Shizuoka needs to be a little more composed in their ball forward movement. They ran well and won the ball, but they also lost it frequently. Miyazaki had the edge in individual player skill and build-up organization, but Shizuoka’s relentless running secured the victory.
The match between Nagoya and Kamogawa, a clash between 3rd and 5th place teams, ended in a draw. 6th-placed Yunogo won the match agianst 4th-placed Iga. There’s been a lot of movement in the standing table from 3rd to 6th place.

[ Results of Matches ]
Match1 (5/2): Nagoya 1-1 Kamogawa at CS Asset Port Soccer Stadium with attendance of 406.
Nagoya’s goal: A. Mizuno (27′)
Kamogawa’s goal: Y. Kouno (48′)
Shots: 13:1 (7:0)

Match2 (5/2): Ehime 1-1 Harima at Ehime Prefectural General Sports Park Stadium with attendance of 228.
Ehime’s goal: S. Kuroiwa (64′)
Harima’s goal: K. Koike (35′)
Shots: 4:7 (3:4)

Match3 (5/3): Yokohama Seagulls 3-1 Nittaidai Yokohama at Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium with attendance of 896.
Seagulls’ goals: C. Muroi (34′), M. Oka (46′), H. Uchida (58′)
Nittaidai’s goal: M. Sugawara (26′)
Shots: 14:6 (8:3)

Match4 (5/3): Shizuoka 1-0 Miyazaki at Iwata Sports Exchange Village Yumeria Ball Game Field with attendance of 591.
Shizuoka’s goal: K. Yokoyama ( 21′)
Shots: 17:9 (9:7)

Match5 (5/3): Iga 1-2 Yunogo at Ueno Athletic Park Stadium with attendance of 425.
Iga’s goal: H. Hirata (90′)
Yunogo’s goals: S. Terao (70′), K. Kuniyoshi (75′)
Shots: 9:6 (1:3)

Match6 (5/3): Setagaya – Ichihara at Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka with attendance of 532.
Setagaya’s goals: M. Horie (29′), M. Uchida (66′)
Shots: 7:2 (5:2)