The 2020 Nadeshiko League was the 32nd season of the Nadeshiko League, the main league for women's association football in Japan. It was also the 16th season in its current format.

The league was originally scheduled to begin on 2 May 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league was finally rescheduled to begin on 18 July 2020 with the first two rounds of matches played behind closed doors.

Division 1

The season started on 18 July 2020 and ended in November 2020 with the play-offs to be held days later. Prior to the league start date, PCR were carried out on all the players and staffs of the teams participating in the leagues to check their health conditions, almost all test cases came out negative.[citation needed]

Urawa Reds Ladies won their fourth Nadeshiko League title and therefore will earn the right to participate in the 2021 AFC Women's Club Championship.

This is its final year as the highest division of the Japan women's football league system as the WE League is set to commence next year. Similar to the men's J. League in 1992 and the English women's FA WSL in 2011, not all Division 1 clubs will be admitted to the new league.

Teams

The league was contested by 10 teams, debutants Ehime winners of the 2019 Nadeshiko League Division 2 and runners up Cerezo Osaka replaced Nittidai and AC Nagano Parceiro Ladies, who were relegated from the 2019 Nadeshiko League Division 1.

ClubHometown(s)First season in top flightCurrent spell in top flight
Club Hometown(s) First season in top flight Current spell in top flight NTV Beleza Inagi, Tokyo 1989 1989–present INAC Kobe Leonessa Kobe, Hyogo 2005 2005–present Mynavi Vegalta Sendai Sendai, Miyagi 2013 2013–present Albirex Niigata Niigata Prefecture 2007 2007–present Cerezo Osaka Osaka 2018 2020–present Ehime Matsuyama 2020 2020–present JEF United Chiba Chiba, Chiba 2000 2009–present Urawa Reds Ladies Saitama, Saitama 1999 1999–present Nojima Stella Sagamihara, Kanagawa 2017 2017–present Iga Kunoichi Iga, Mie 1989 2019–presentBelezaINACUrawa Reds LadiesAlbirexIgaVegalta SendaiNojimaJEFCerezoEhimeLocations of 2020 Nadeshiko League Division 1 teams
NTV BelezaInagi, Tokyo19891989–present
INAC Kobe LeonessaKobe, Hyogo20052005–present
Mynavi Vegalta SendaiSendai, Miyagi20132013–present
Albirex NiigataNiigata Prefecture20072007–present
Cerezo OsakaOsaka20182020–present
EhimeMatsuyama20202020–present
JEF United ChibaChiba, Chiba20002009–present
Urawa Reds LadiesSaitama, Saitama19991999–present
Nojima StellaSagamihara, Kanagawa20172017–present
Iga KunoichiIga, Mie19892019–present

Table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification or relegation
1Urawa Reds Ladies1814223717+2044Champions, form WE League
2INAC Kobe Leonessa1811253319+1435Form WE League
3NTV Beleza189454522+2331
4Cerezo Osaka188643236−430
5Albirex Niigata188371917+227Form WE League
6JEF United Chiba186573029+123
7Mynavi Vegalta Sendai186482624+222
8Nojima Stella1843111830−1215
9Iga Kunoichi1842121733−1614
10Ehime1833121646−3012

Results

Home \ AwayALBCEREHIINAIGAJEFNTVNOJURAVEG
Albirex Niigata—0–12–02–11–12–00–01–02–30–1
Cerezo Osaka2–1—3–22–02–12–21–103–10–02–2
Ehime1–03–2—0–12–11–51–52–20–10–2
INAC2–03–15–0—2–12–04–12–10–13–0
Iga Kunoichi0–12–23–00–1—0–51–63–10–10–2
JEF United1–23–30–02–12–1—1–31–22–41–1
NTV Beleza2–21–12–21–23–00–1—1–03–24–1
Nojima Stella0–10–32–11–10–11–32–1—2–32–1
Urawa Reds Ladies2–10–15–14–12–12–01–01–1—2–1
Vegalta Sendai0–15–15–02–20–11–10–21–01–2—

Positions by round

Team ╲ Round123456789101112131415161718
Urawa Reds Ladies111311111111111111
INAC Kobe542234333444322222
NTV Beleza324442222222233333
Cerezo Osaka233123444333444544
Albirex Niigata466555655555555455
JEF United1057768889978667766
Vegalta Sendai8101010107798866776677
Nojima Stella998996566797888888
Iga FC7898710977689999999
Ehime675689101010101010101010101010

Attendance

Average attendance

Highest attendance

Statistics

Topscorers

As of matches played on 21 November 2020.

RankPlayerClubGoals
1Japan Yuika SugasawaUrawa Reds Ladies17
2Japan Haruka HamadaVegalta Sendai15
3Japan Mina TanakaINAC Kobe Leonessa13
4Japan Rikako KobayashiNTV Beleza9
Japan Ami OtakiJEF United
6Japan Jun EndoNTV Beleza8
7Japan Yui HasegawaNTV Beleza7
Japan Honoka HayashiCerezo Osaka
Japan Arisa MinaminoNojima Stella
104 players6

Awards

Best XI

Division 2

The season began on 18 July 2020.

Teams and format

10 teams contested the league, Jumonji Ventus were promoted while Shizuoka Sangyo were relegated from the previous season, additionally Nittaidai and Nagano Parceiro Ladies also joined from the Nadeshiko League Division 1.

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsPromotion or relegation
1Sfida Setagaya1811433418+1637
2Elfen Saitama1811343313+2036Promoted to WE League
3Kamogawa1810443718+1934
4Yokohama18882298+2132
5Nagano Parceiro188462213+928Promoted to WE League
6Harima188282522+326
7Yamato Sylphid187561516−126
8Jumonji Ventus1834111540−2513Promoted to WE League
9Nittaidai182313746−399
10Bunnys Kyoto181512831−238

Results

Home \ AwayKYOELFHARJUMKAMNITNAGSETYAMYOK
Bunnys Kyoto—0–31–30–10–30–10–31–22–10–1
Elfen Saitama2–1—4–11–05–14–01–21–10–10–0
Harima0–00–1—2–10–14–01–23–02–11–0
Jumonji Ventus2–21–22–1—1–42–00–50–50–20–5
Kamogawa4–02–23–03–0—4–10–00–12–10–0
Nittaidai0–01–00–51–10–5—1–30–21–10–5
Nagano Parceiro1–10–10–11–01–22–0—1–10–10–0
Sfida Setagaya3–00–32–05–23–12–12–0—1–22–2
Yamato Sylphid1–00–30–00–01–02–00–11–1—0–3
Yokohama0–02–04–11–12–23–01–00–10–0—

Statistics

Top scorers

Awards

Challenge League

12 teams contested the third tier, divided into two groups of 6 each for East and West. Newly promoted clubs were Shizuoka SSU Asregina (formerly Iwata Bonita) and Fukuoka J. Anclas, both returning to the national tiers, and Cerezo Osaka Sakai Girls, Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies's B-team.

Teams

Clubs (East)Hometown(s)
Norddea HokkaidoSapporo, Hokkaido
Tsukuba FC LadiesTsukuba, Ibaraki
Niigata University of Health and Welfare LSCNiigata, Niigata
JFA Academy Fukushima LSCSusono, Shizuoka
Shizuoka SSU AsreginaIwata, Shizuoka
NGU Loveledge NagoyaNagoya, Aichi
Clubs (West)Hometown(s)
Speranza Osaka TakatsukiTakatsuki, Osaka
Cerezo Osaka Sakai GirlsOsaka
KIU CharmeTakahashi, Okayama
Yunogo BelleMimasaka, Okayama
Angeviolet HiroshimaHiroshima
Fukuoka J. AnclasFukuoka

Challenge League Championship

Angeviolet Hiroshima0–0JFA Academy Fukushima LSC
JFA Academy Fukushima LSC1–0Angeviolet Hiroshima
Numao 77'

JFA Academy wins the title.

Challenge League Third Place

Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki0–0NGU Loveledge Nagoya
NGU Loveledge Nagoya0–1 (a.e.t.)Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki
Sakanaka 106'

Speranza is promoted to the Nadeshiko League.

External links

  • at Soccerway.