NEWS
Beleza, Leonessa to face off in All-Japan Women’s C’ship
Nippon TV Beleza advanced to the final of the All-Japan Women’s Championship by beating TEPCO Mareeze 3-1 in the semifinals on Sunday at Nishigaoka Stadium in Tokyo.
Beleza will meet INAC Leonessa on Thursday at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Leonessa reached the final for the first time by beating TASAKI Perule 4-1.
Beleza jumped to a 1-0 lead on Shinobu Ohno’s goal one minute into the game. But Mareeze equalized through Keiko Tanaka on the half-hour mark.
Nadeshiko Japan forward Eriko Arakawa helped Beleza find their rhythm and forward Yuki Nagasato broke the tie by slotting home a Yukari Kinga pass five minutes after the break.
Arakawa, who came off the bench at halftime in place of Japan Under-17 forward Mana Iwabuchi, helped widen the lead in the 53rd minute by lobbing goalkeeper Misaki Amano.
“I knew it would be a tough game and we couldn’t play our own game in the first half,” said Beleza and Nadeshiko Japan midfielder Homare Sawa.
“We have some players who will retire at the end of this tournament so we’d like to win the tournament to close our season,” Sawa added.
Earlier in the day, INAC displayed attacking football and went ahead in the 15th minute through Brazilian forward Pretinha. Right-back Eiko Tsunoda made it 2-0 in the 42nd minute with a strike from a tight angle.
TASAKI, whose sponsor Tasaki Pearl has decided to disband the team at the end of the season due to financial reasons, cut the deficit to 2-1 shortly before the break with a skillful lob from outside the box.
But INAC extended their lead through Miwa Yonetsu in the 53rd minute and Nahomi Kawasumi in the 78th minute to secure their place in the final.
“It would have been nice if we could have played one more match, but this is the result and we have to live with it,” said TASAKI and Nadeshiko Japan defender Hiromi Ikeda. “It’s sad that I cannot play with my teammates, with whom I’ve spent more time than my family. I’d like to thank all the people who supported us.”
Thursday’s final will be played prior to the men’s Emperor’s Cup final.
