The JFA 27th Japan Futsal Championship is about to kick-off on Saturday 12 March. The first two rounds will be held at Hamamatsu Arena (Shizuoka), Kishiwada City Gymnasium (Osaka), and Green Arena Kobe (Hyogo), while the quarterfinals onwards will take place at Komazawa Olympic Park (Tokyo).

In addition to the 18 teams from the F.League, 14 qualifiers from the nine regional football associations will participate in the competition. Matches are played in 20-minute halves, with a knock-out format to determine the number one futsal team in Japan.

Since the launch of the F.League in 2007, teams from the F.League have won the championship, with the exception of FUGA MEGURO (now Fugador Sumida) from the Kanto Futsal League, who won the title in 2009. However, while only F1 teams have ever won the championship from the F.League, Toruela Kashiwa (now Shinagawa City) became the first F2 team to win the championship last year. Not only the F2 teams, but teams active in the regional leagues are also showing impressive improvements, setting up a perfect stage for major upsets in this knock-out tournament.

Please stay tuned to find out who will advance to the final on Monday 21 March.

Interview

Here we asked NAKAMURA Yusuke and SHIRAKATA Hidekazu, both members of last year's champion Toruela Kashiwa (now Shinagawa City), to reflect on their championship campaign and their aspirations for this year's competition.

○Interview was conducted online on 8 February 2022

――Last year, you two were both members of Toruela Kashiwa, who won the tournament. Was it your first time winning the Japan Futsal Championship?

NAKAMURA　Yes, when I was with Nagoya Oceans, we finished second and lost in the group stage, so I was both happy and relieved when we won.

SHIRAKATA　I won the tournament twice during my time in Nagoya but I was not a first string player during those time. So it was my first time as a starting player and the sense of achievement I felt last year was totally different from the first two times.

――Until the third round your team played clubs from the regional league, and from the fourth round onwards you played four consecutive matches against division 1 clubs from the F.League.

NAKAMURA　We entered the tournament fully motivated and with a challenger's spirit to compete against F1 clubs in an official competition, but more than that, we were determined to demonstrate all that we had built up over the year. Rather than abandoning our own futsal to win, we wanted to showcase our futsal and win.

SHIRAKATA　We had the F1/F2 play-off matches coming up after the Japan Futsal Championship, so we wanted to show that we could go head-to-head against F1 clubs. I don't think our opponents were able to do much scouting on us, and it must have been mentally very difficult for them. We were able to take the initiative in many of the matches, partly because our opponents played defence in a way that made our tactics more effective.

――What have you been working on since last year and what are the strengths of Shinagawa City?

NAKAMURA　There are many factors, but first of all, everyone on this team is capable of working hard. We also have been able to focus on the smallest details from practice, such as “let's take one more step closer,” “let's take half a step closer,” “let's try sliding there.” The fact that we were able to spend a year building on what we had last year gives us a huge edge.

SHIRAKATA　Furthermore, last year we played mainly a 4-0 formation (a basic futsal system with four field players lined up side by side), but this year we have more options, such as a 3-1 with a pivot. Meanwhile, the team's colours have not changed, as we can still work hard, apply pressure to the far post, and make quick transitions. It feels like we have more options and experience now.

――While an F2 club won the tournament for the first time last year, we saw many F2 clubs losing matches to clubs from regional leagues. What were your thoughts watching your league rivals play?

SHIRAKATA　It did feel like F2 clubs were losing too much last year. However, I experienced losing to teams from lower categories during my time with Vasagey Oita, so I know how it feels. Even so, I want the teams in the F.League to show their pride and that is exactly what I intend on doing as a player from the F.League.

NAKAMURA　This year we faced a lot of matches we couldn’t win and the level of competition has definitely gone up. I personally want the F2 clubs to win against not only the regional leaguers but also F1 clubs in this tournament.

――Your first match in this year's tournament will be against Fugador Sumida, a team you played in the final last year. To conclude this interview, please tell us about your goals for this year's tournament.

NAKAMURA　This year, we will be facing an F1 club from the first round. We have to concentrate on each match, think only about the match ahead of us, play as many matches as we could, and hope to end up with the title again.

SHIRAKATA　I feel the same way. This team is a team that can focus on the game in front of us, and we were able to mature a lot as a team last year during the Japan Futsal Championship. I am looking forward to repeating the same experience this year.

JFA 27th Japan Futsal Championship

Tournament dates: Sat. 12 - Mon. 21 March
Tournament venue: Kishiwada City Gymnasium (Osaka), Green Arena Kobe (Hyogo), Hamamatsu Arena (Shizuoka), Komazawa Olympic Park (Tokyo)

Tournament information