Football: Beleza win 1st WE League title on goal difference, INAC 2nd
KYODO NEWS - 18 minutes ago - 17:13 | Sports, All
Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza won their maiden WE League women's football title on goal difference Saturday after finishing level on 51 points with INAC Kobe Leonessa.
Beleza beat JEF United Chiba 3-0 at home, helped by a brace from Yuzuki Yamamoto, while INAC came from behind to win 3-1 at Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara to match them on points.
The top two teams had identical records of 16 wins, three draws and three losses from 22 games, but Kobe, the league's inaugural champions in the 2021-22 season, finished with a five-goal deficit to Beleza in goal difference.
Urawa Reds, the champions for the past two seasons, settled for third on 46 points.
Related coverage:
Baseball: Ohtani hits MLB-best 16th homer in Dodgers' loss to Angels
Athletics: Sani Brown calls running at packed National Stadium dream
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kyodo News
an hour ago
- Kyodo News
Funeral held for Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima
KYODO NEWS - 5 hours ago - 17:22 | Sports, All A private funeral was held Sunday in Tokyo for Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima, with former Yomiuri Giants teammates and players he managed at the club in attendance. The People's Honor Award recipient, who rose to stardom for his on-field exploits during the country's era of rapid economic growth in the 1960s and 1970s, died Tuesday of pneumonia at age 89. His popularity transcended sports. "You brought pride to the people of Japan," Nippon Professional Baseball all-time home run leader Sadaharu Oh said in a message to Nagashima during the funeral. Oh and Nagashima, together nicknamed "O-N," led the Giants to nine consecutive Central League and Japan Series titles from 1965 to 1973. After his storied 17-year playing career, Nagashima managed the Tokyo-based club. "Shigeo Nagashima will always be with me," former New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui said. "And that makes me happy." During his second stint as manager, Nagashima helped Matsui become Yomiuri's cleanup hitter. Matsui went on to play in the major leagues from 2003. Related coverage: Tributes to Nagashima pour in from Japanese sports world Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dead at 89
Kyodo News
an hour ago
- Kyodo News
Boxing: Nakatani defeats Nishida in title unification bout
KYODO NEWS - 2 minutes ago - 22:19 | Sports, All Junto Nakatani took a big step toward a potential future showdown with Naoya "Monster" Inoue by defeating Ryosuke Nishida in their bantamweight title unification bout Sunday. Nishida was unable to start the seventh round after dislocating his right shoulder, allowing Nakatani to add Nishida's IBF belt to his WBC belt. Nishida also had visible swelling above his right eye. The two previously undefeated boxers engaged in a slugfest from the opening round, with undisputed super bantamweight champion Inoue watching from ringside at Ariake Colosseum. Nakatani improved his professional record to 31-0, 24 of them by knockout. Nishida fell to 10-1 with two KOs. Inoue and Nakatani have verbally agreed to fight each other next spring in what would be one of the most intriguing all-Japanese matchups in boxing history. Earlier Sunday, former kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa defeated Victor Santillan of the Dominican Republic by unanimous decision in a 10-round bantamweight match. Nasukawa aims to fight for a world title in his next bout. Related coverage: Boxing: Ginjiro Shigeoka in stable condition after post-match brain surgery Boxing: Ioka unable to reclaim WBA super flyweight belt from Martinez Boxing: Inoue 2nd, Nakatani, Teraji in Ring's pound-for-pound ranking
Japan Times
2 hours ago
- Japan Times
Dodgers need more offense to avoid sweep at Cardinals
The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to revive their offense Sunday afternoon and avoid a three-game road sweep against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers went 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position while suffering 5-0 and 2-1 losses during the first two games in this series at Busch Stadium. Their only run Saturday was scored on a wild pitch while Freddie Freeman was striking out. Freeman went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and Will Smith and Tommy Edman each went 0-for-2. That futility puts more pressure on the Dodgers pitchers. "Obviously our offense is better than that," Los Angeles reliever Ben Casparius said after suffering Saturday's loss. "It's a close game like that, but I don't see it as (the pitchers) trying to do too much." The Dodgers, who have lost five of their last seven games, will turn to veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 5.17 ERA) to finish the series. Kershaw will continue his comeback from knee and toe surgeries while making his fifth start. In his first four starts this season, Kershaw has completed just 15 2/3 innings while rebuilding his endurance. He struggled with his command in his last outing while needing 92 pitches to work 4 2/3 innings. Kershaw allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks against the New York Mets on June 3. He struck out two in a game the Dodgers eventually won 6-5 in 10 innings. In his career, Kershaw is 11-6 with a 2.87 ERA in 22 career starts against the Cardinals. The Dodgers bolstered their pitching staff Saturday, activating Kirby Yates from the 15-day injured list and Michael Kopech from the 60-day IL. Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is congratulated by teammates after scoring the game tying run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium on Saturday. | Imagn Images / via Reuters "It's great, they haven't pitched in a while," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "But to have those guys, who are mainstays for our club, to get them back kind of solidifies things for sure." The Cardinals, who have won three of their last four games, will bid for the sweep while striving to remain one of the National League's more surprising playoff contenders. "They just embrace competition man, it doesn't matter who's across the way," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. "This is a very respected (Dodgers) team across the way, a really good roster. And they've been looking forward to this matchup. It tells out a lot about this group. It's young, but it plays the right way. It's fun." Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado went 3-for-4 with a run in Friday's victory, then he came off the bench to hit the walk-off RBI single Saturday. "Obviously (the Dodgers) have some stars over there that people want to watch, but we've got a great team, man," Arenado told FanDuel Sports Network. "We're not afraid of anybody." After getting well-pitched games from starter Sonny Gray and Erick Fedde, the Cardinals promoted prospect Michael McGreevy (1-0, 0.00 ERA) from Triple-A Memphis to make Sunday's start. With the team in a stretch of 28 games in 29 days, McGreevy could stick in the majors as a sixth starter. McGreevy defeated the New York Mets on May 4 in his only previous start this season. He blanked the Mets on one hit for 5 2/3 innings in that game. This will be his first career appearance against the Dodgers.
