The quarterfinals of the 101st All Japan High School Soccer Tournament took place at Urawa Komaba Stadium and Todoroki Athletics Stadium on Wednesday 4 January.

Featured Match 1

Sano Nihon University Senior High School 0-4 (0-1, 0-3) Okayama Gakugeikan High School

The match between Sano Nihon University Senior High School (Tochigi) and Okayama Gakugeikan High School (Okayama) held at Todoroki Athletics Stadium progressed with Okayama Gakugeikan controlling the pace. As coach TAKAHARA Yoshiaki later reflected, “We knew our opponents were going to take a defensive approach, so we focused on sending crosses from the flanks,” Okayama Gakugeikan scored the opening goal in the 12th minute, when TAGUCHI Yuma converted a deflection of a cross delivered by OKAMOTO Haruto from the right side.

After taking the lead, Okayama Gakugeikan continued to dominate the ball possession while holding off their opponents from triggering counterattacks. In the 53rd minute, IMAI Takuto responded to a deflection caused by a shot taken by YAMADA Aoi to double the lead. With momentum on their side, KINOSHITA Ruki and TANABE Nozomi added a goal apiece to further extend the lead, as Okayama Gakugeikan reached the semi-finals for the first time with a 4-0 victory.

Featured Match 2

Aomori Yamada High School 1-2 (1-0, 0-2) Kamimura Gakuen High School

The second match between Kamimura Gakuen High School (Kagoshima) and Aomori Yamada High School (Aomori) saw the Aomori side dictate the pace as Kamimura Gakuen’s acting coach KASHIWANO Yuichi later reflected, “We struggled to deal with the balls delivered by our opponents and couldn’t find our rhythm.” After creating a few close opportunities, Aomori Yamada took the lead in the 34th minute, when KOMINATO Tsuna forced a turnover deep in the opposing end, before sending a pass to NAKAYAMA Ryunosuke, who showcased a spectacular individual effort inside the box to score the opening goal.

In efforts to change the dynamics of the match, Kamimura Gakuen introduced NAWATA Gaku off the bench in the second half, and the tide gradually shifted towards the Kagoshima side, as Aomori Yamada’s coach MASAKI Masanori later mentioned, “We saw OSAKO (Rui) deliver great passes in the first half, so we tried to contain him in the second half. However, that gave FUKUDA (Shio) and NISHIMARU (Minto) more opportunities.” The equaliser came in the 56th minute, when the ball was connected through Osako and Fukuda, before Nishimaru converted the loose ball. In the 60th minute, Fukuda capitalised on a deflection of a shot taken by Nishimaru, which proved to be the decisive goal, as Kamimura Gakuen advanced to the semi-finals for the first time in 16 years.

Coaches and Players' Comments

OKAMOTO Haruto (Okayama Gakugeikan High School)
We knew our opponents were going to sit back, so we intended to attack the flanks and deliver crosses towards the middle. I was well aware that I had to get my job done, so I focused on the quality of my crosses. However, I was unable to deliver any assists, so this match served as a reminder that I need to improve the quality of my crosses. Since launching this team, our goal was to reach the semi-finals of this tournament, and I feel relieved to achieve that goal, but now that we have made it this far, we want to finish the tournament as champions.

EBINA Hideki, Coach (Sano Nihon University Senior High School)
Okayama Gakugeikan are a strong team, so were expecting to concede at least a goal. Even after we gave up the lead, our players fought with great patience to stay in the game. We entered the second half with the intention of changing the dynamics of the match, but we ended up conceding the second goal in an unfortunate way, which really hurt us. Despite the loss, it was a great honour to play in such a great stadium and in a wonderful environment The players have given more than they were capable of.

KASAGI Jun (Kamimura Gakuen High School)
Our opponents had the edge in dealing with long balls, so we tried to possess the ball through short passes. We are supported by many different people. Although the players who are on the pitch tends to be in the spotlight, there are plenty of more people around us who are supporting us behind the scenes. We believe that it is our responsibility to deliver results and display an entertaining performance for those who are supporting us.

MASAKI Masanori, Coach (Aomori Yamada High School)
I think we were the only team in the whole country that experienced that much pressure when we became national champions last year, and the players have become mentally tough after spending a year as the defending champions. The players fought extremely hard until the very end and showed a lot of maturity in today’s match. Some of the third-year players will be turning professional after attending university. I hope each and every player will make the most of this experience as they go on to different paths.

The 101st All Japan High School Soccer Tournament

Tournament Dates: Wed. 28 December 2022 - Mon. 9 January 2023

Tournament Information