NEWS

J. League promotion hopefuls Fagiano Okayama and New Wave Kitakyushu continued their progress in the Emperor’s Cup at the weekend.

In second-round matches, Okayama beat Volca Kagoshima 2-0 with goals from forward Hideaki Takeda and defender Mitsuhiko Kimura at home, while Kitakyushu edged Mitsubishi Heavy Industry Nagasaki 1-0 thanks to a late goal from forward Daisuke Miyagawa in Nagasaki.
Two college sides stayed alive in the annual tournament: Osaka University of Health and Sports Sciences beat Grulla Morioka 3-0, and Kokushikan University of Tokyo beat Doto University of Hokkaido 6-1.
Ohzu High School of Kumamoto Prefecture, the only high school team left in the tournament, lost 2-1 to Okinawa Kariyushi FC on Masaki Saito’s last-minute goal in Saga.
In the third round on October 12, when the J. League’s Division Two clubs join the tournament, Okayama and Kitakyushu will meet Ventforet Kofu and Vegalta Sendai, respectively. Kokushikan University will face Tokushima Voltis while Osaka University of Health and Sports Sciences will take on Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Kariyushi will play Yokohama FC.
The J. League’s Division One clubs will take part from the fourth round on November 2-3 (except for those clubs involved in the Nabisco Cup final). The fifth round will take place on November 15, with teams involved in the AFC Champions League final playing their games on November 26.
The quarterfinals are scheduled for December 20, except those who take part in the FIFA Club World Cup, who will play on December 25. The semifinals will be held on December 29 and the final will take place on January 1.