The 18th All Japan University Futsal Championship, held at the Kishiwada City Gymnasium in Osaka, reached its final day on Sunday 28 August, with the third-place match and final taking place.

The third place match was played between two Kanto sides, Tokyo International University Football Club (Kanto 1/Saitama) and Tama University Futsal Club (Kanto 2/Tokyo), in which Tama University had their revenge over their regional rival after losing 3-5 at the Kanto regional championship final. Tama University scored the opening goal in the eighth minute when MINESHIMA Ayumu converted the pass of ARAKI Tatsuya. ONO Dai scored back-to-back goals in the 13th minute to triple the lead, before FUJIMOTO Tsuyoshi assisted the goal of Araki in the 18th minute to give Tama University a 4-0 lead at halftime.

With a commanding lead, Tama University showcased a solid defensive performance to keep Tokyo International University at bay. Even facing a power-play at the closing minutes of the match, Tama University managed to counter with SUGAWARA Genki’s goal to claim third place in convincing fashion.

Both seeking to win the title for the first time, Osaka Seikei University Futsal Club (Host/Osaka) and Hokkaido University Esperanza (Hokkaido) clashed at the final, where the Osaka side demonstrated their dominance. Osaka Seikei University devoted their time analysing their opponent, as coach SATO Toru reflected, “I only had like two hours of sleep.” The coaching staff compiled their findings into a video footage and alerted the players to be cautious of the opponent’s fast breaks and set pieces.

The staff’s efforts came to fruition in the final, as Osaka Seikei University were in control of the match from start to finish. In the third minute, YAMAGATA Hayao, who plays for the second team in the league matches, scored the opening goal with a powerful shot, as the first year player later reflected, “I received a good pass and knowing that the opponents were approaching from behind, I intended to use their momentum to make a turn.” Regarding his shot, he thanked his coaching staff for their advice, “Our coaching staff told me to aim for the goalkeeper’s shoulders or between the legs, so I was fully determined to hit the upper target.”

In the sixth minute, Osaka Seikei University extended their lead to 2-0 when HASHIMOTO Reira, a former member of the U-20 Japan Futsal National Team, scored from a set piece. The Osaka side also showed great transition between offence and defence, and strict man-to-man defence facing set pieces to prevent their opponents from creating any close opportunities. SAKAMOTO Hiroto made it 3-0 in the 18th minute, when he converted a corner kick with a volley shot, in which coach Sato described, “It was a designed play based on our scouting report.”

Trailing by three goals, Hokkaido University started to rally in the second half, but Osaka Seikei University responded well to their opponents’ aggression, with YAMAGUCHI Tatsuki extending the lead in the 22nd minute after making a long run from his own half, before scoring another goal in the 30th minute to seal the victory.

With KIKUCHI Naoto adding another goal in the 36th minute, the Osaka side brought on YOKOTA Sho to give their rookie goalkeeper playing time at the national stage. Osaka Seikei University kept their focus until the end to keep the clean sheet intact and claim their first title at the All Japan University Futsal Championship. Osaka Seikei University were also awarded with the Fair Play Award.

Coach and Players' Comments

FP #9 FUJIMOTO Tsuyoshi (Tama University Futsal Club)
To be honest, I am very disappointed. The seniors have been working for four years with the goal of winning this tournament, so it's very frustrating, but we were able to finish with a win, so I'm glad about that. Last night, we talked as a team and agreed to give our best to win the third place match, which I think helped us stay motivated. This was the last game with this group of players, so I am glad we were able to control the game in our favour. I hope the underclassmen will be able to achieve what we couldn't do.

SATO Toru, Coach (Osaka Seikei University Futsal Club)
Now that the tournament is over, we are reminded of the magnitude of this event. I felt strongly that the players grow and develop through these kinds of competitions. We talked about enjoying the moment on behalf of the senior who couldn’t compete in this tournament, and I am glad to see them grow through the competitions. Including the preparation works ahead of each match, I feel like we have done everything to win the title. Our scouting really paid off in the final, which was something I have never experienced as a coach.

FP #6 NAKAMURA Kai (Osaka Seikei University Futsal Club)
When I was playing at Sakuyo High School, we lost to Teikyo Nagaoka High School, who were led by coach Sato, in the U-18 Japan Futsal Championship, and from that moment on I was determined to become the national champions at the university level. So, in that sense, I am very happy to have accomplished my goal with (Sato) Toru-san. With this being the final, everyone was really focused, and the scouring report prepared by the coaching staff really helped us get prepared for this match. I have not decided on my immediate future yet, but I hope to play in the F.League at some point.

GK #1 TAKAHASHI Yuki (Hokkaido University Esperanza)
It is really disappointing to lose in the final. It really felt like our opponents had studied us in all aspects, including our counterattacks and set pieces. We still managed to create chances, but the fact that we couldn’t capitalise on them during the first period really hurt us. We are not a talented group, but we really worked hard to reach this stage, which is something we should be proud of. I hope our underclassmen can win the eighth consecutive Hokkaido title as well as the national title.

8/28 Final Highlights

8/28 Final Full Match

The 18th All Japan University Futsal Championship

Tournament dates: Fri. 26 - Sun. 28 August 2022
Tournament venue: Kishiwada City Gymnasium (Osaka)

Tournament information