wf104: Nadeshiko Friendly Match and Nadeshiko League 2026 Week 12

[[[[Foreword]]]]
On Saturday, June 6th, the Nadeshiko played a friendly match against an African team, South Africa, in Osaka. With a new head coach and three new assistant coaches, this was a good opportunity to explore the direction of development the Nadeshiko is taking as they prepare for the 2027 World Cup (Brazil) scheduled for June 24th to July 25th. Rather than getting caught up in the score of the friendly match, we have to focus on finding the validity of their new direction.
Meanwhile, the second half of the Nadeshiko League 2026 season is about to begin. It will be interesting to see how Shizuoka, who led in the first half, performs in the second half, how Nagoya, who has been improving, will catch up, and whether any teams that struggled in the first half will make a comeback.


[[[ Nadeshiko Friendly Match ]]]
[ Blogger’s Preview on June 4th ]
In Europe, the final qualifying rounds for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil are underway under the International Duty scheme. Taking advantage of this opportunity, two international friendly matches against South Africa have been scheduled in Japan. These will be the first matches under the new head coach, Michihisa Kano. It will also be the debut for the three new coaching staff members. The English WSL, German league, and Japanese WE League are at the start of their off-season, while the US NWSL is in the middle of its season, having played 11 to 13 matches. The difference in players’ condition will be significant. It is likely that Kano’s tactics will be implemented with the maximum possible substitutions, and that will be the focus of the match. We hope to see tactics that make us feel that they might be able to beat the world’s top five teams.

[ Blogger’s Review ]
New manager Kano seems to have put his own spin on things. Whether it’s good or bad, it appears that the team is aiming to challenge the world’s top five through tactical sophistication.
Below are my thoughts on the June 6th match. The 5-0 scoreline can be ignored. South Africa seemed to have selected young players, and their condition wasn’t ideal.
The focus is on the changes in Nadeshiko’s team tactics. What caught my eye was the fluid positioning of Risa Shimizu and Aoba Fujino. Shimizu was moving like a false side-back, penetrating the inner lane all the way into the opponent’s penalty area. Conversely, Fujino changed her vertical position from the front line, pressuring the opposing goalkeeper, to lining up with the center backs. These might be countermeasures against the “Nadeshiko countermeasures” seen in the previous World Cup (preventing build-up play by controlling the flanks and winning the ball inside).
Furthermore, Momoko Tanikawa was positioned as a center forward. Certainly, considering Tanikawa’s outstanding finishing ability, her defensive skills, her build-up play, and her running ability, which have much room for improvement, this could be one possible solution for the Nadeshiko.
What was puzzling was the deployment of Hinata Miyazawa as a left winger. She’s a player who generates the most value in the center, so frankly, it felt like a waste of her talent.
Yui Hasegawa’s positioning was also half-hearted, and she lost the ball noticeably. Her running ability was impressive as always, though. Perhaps she was still feeling the fatigue from the FA Cup final? For the same reason, Moeka Minami also seemed to be in less-than-ideal condition. Conversely, Fuka Nagano’s efforts stood out.
The tactic of the present match, however, was likely designed for opponents whom the Nadeshiko have to win with a high score against. The so-called 4-2-4-2 formation.
When one suppose facing one of the world’s top five teams, the defense of the space in front of the center-backs seems insufficient in the present style. Especially when the ball is lost in the midfield when both wingers spread out, allowing the opponent to launch a quick counter-attack and to reach a goal. Will they deploy Hinata Miyazawa as a number 6 against such a strong opponent? Also, what will happen to the backups for Hikaru Kitagawa and Shimizu? Candidates Miyabi Moriya and Yu Endo were not used in the present match.
Akari Takeshige and Juri Ito made their national team debuts. Both demonstrated a certain level of skill. Their strengths seem to lie in their hard-working defense and accurate kicking. Whether they can hold their own against tough opponents remains to be seen; we’ll have to wait for their next opportunity.
By the way, Manaka Matsukubo showed outstanding sharpness, though she didn’t score a goal.

[Match Result]
The Nadeshiko 5-0 South Africa
at Yanmar Hanasaka Stadium with attendance of
Nadeshiko’s goals: K. Seike (1′, 19′), M. Tanikawa (29′), A. Fujino (49′, 60′),


[ [ [ Nadeshiko League 2026 Week 11 ] ] ]

[ Blogger’s Preview on June 4th ]
After a one-week break, the second half of the season will begin this weekend. The match to watch is the top-of-the-table clash between Miyazaki (2) and Nagoya (3). Iga (4) vs. Kamogawa (5) is also highly anticipated matches. Other matches between teams with similar rankings are also scheduled: Yunogo (7) vs. Seagulls (6), and Harima (11) vs. Ichihara (12). All of these are expected to be intense battles.

[ Overall Review ]
Shizuoka suffered a defeat against struggling Setagaya, despite highly dominating in shots. Setagaya rose to 8th place. Nagoya won their away match against Miyazaki to move up to 2nd place. Iga and Kamogawa drew their matches scoreless, placing them 4th and 5th respectively. Yunogo, with a resounding victory, and Ehime and Harima, with one-goal victories, those three moved up in the standings.

[ Results of Matches ]
Match1 (6/6): Harima 1-0 Ichihara
at Hyogo Prefectural Miki Comprehensive Disaster Prevention Park Athletics Stadium with attendance of 341.
Harima’s goal: S. Kawasaki (90′)
Shots: 9:2 (3:1)

Match2 (6/7): Iga 0-0 Kamogawa
at Ueno Athletic Park Stadium with attendance of 492.
Shots: 5:7 (4:0)

Match3 (6/7): Yunogo 4-1 Seagulls
at Okayama Prefecture Mimasaka Rugby and Soccer Stadium with attendance of 636.
Yunogo’s goals: A. Kashii (7′), R. Shioya (18′, 33′), S, Yamashita (43′)
Seagulls’ goal: C. Muroi (45′)
Shots: 10:7 (6:5)

Match4 (6/7): Ehime 1-0 Nittaidai
at Ehime Prefectural General Sports Park Stadium with attendance of 237.
Ehime’s goal:Y. Sakurai (21′)
Shots: 15:4 (7:3)

Match5 (6/7): Miyazaki 0-2 Nagoya
at Ichigo Miyazaki Shintomi Soccer Field with attendance of 1,067.
Nagoya’s goals: A. Mizuno (36′), A. Fujiwara (88′)
Shots: 8:15 (4:7)

Match6 (6/7): Shizuoka 1-2 Setagaya
at Yamaha Stadium with attendance of 1,681.
Shizuoka’s goal: K. Yokoyama (25′)
Setagaya’s goals: M. Horie (66′), M. Uchida (70′)
Shots: 19: 7 (9:3)