The 2nd All Japan Youth (U-18) Futsal Tournament entered the second day on 21 August. The first round wrapped up through the day, and the eight teams that advance to the final round were all set.

In Group A, the two teams had already clinched the final round after the first day, and Espaco U-18 (Tokai/Shizuoka) and Kumiyama High School (Kansai 1/Kyoto) played against each other with the first place at stake on the second day. Espaco U-18 earned the first place with a 6-1 win over Kumiyama High School.

In Group B, the reigning champion FC Seiwa Gakuen (Tohoku 1/Miyagi) took on CLARK Memorial International High School（Kansai 2/Hyogo), who remained in the final eight in the last tournament.

FC Seiwa Gakuen took a loss on the previous day and exhibited aggressive dribbling this day. They took a lead with a goal by KIMURA Shunsuke and kept their dominant pace after that.

Toward the end, they managed to defend their goal from the fierce attacks by CLARK Memorial International High School, which included their goalkeeper MIYAMOTO Taku, and wound up winning the contest 1-0.  FC Seiwa Gakuen made the final eight for the second consecutive championship.

In the following match,  Sakuyo High School (Chugoku/Okayama) defeated Thank FC Kuriyama U-18 (Hokkaido 1/Hokkaido) 3-1. They kept their unbeaten record with two wins and one draw and clinched the first place in the group. As a result, CLARK Memorial International High School finished third in the group and was eliminated in the first round.

In the second leg of Group C at Xebio Arena, Sapporo Otani High School (Hokkaido 2/Hokkaido) crushed SC Seiwa Gakuen (Host/Miyagi). Teikyo Nagaoka High School (Hokushinetsu/Niigata) cruised past Sano Nihon University High School (Kanto 2/Tochigi) 8-2.

Both Sapporo Otani High Shool and Teikyo Nagaoka High School improved to have four points. And then in the final leg, CHIBA Shunki scored two goals to help Sapporo Otani High Shool win and clinch the final round berth.

A host club SC Seiwa Gakuen, who tried to make the final eight, took a lead with a goal from TSUJI Shunosuke, but they had to endure Teikyo Nagaoka High School's fierce rally around KOBAYASHI Takumu and allowed them to go ahead giving up three goals by 11th minute.

SC Seiwa Gakuen once cut the deficit to one with a goal from KIKUTANI Atsushi, but gave up two goals and that was the dagger.  “Our dribbling wasn't good enough yet.

Toward the championship, I would like to train myself,” a tearful Kikutani said after his team lost 2-5. With the outcomes, Teikyo Nagaoka High School clinched the first place and Sapporo Otani High Shool was the runner up as both advanced to the final eight.

In Group D, a F Leaguer UEMATSU Koto scored a goal for the third straight game to help PSTC Londrina U-18（Kanto１/Kanagawa) earn the third consecutive victory to qualify through the groups stage in the first place.

Hokkaido Kushiro Hokuyo High School (Hokkaido 3/Hokkaido) won back-to-back after their first game to clinch the final eight as the runner up place in the group. On the third day of the tourney on the 22nd, there will be quarterfinal and semifinal matches and we'll have the two teams for the championship contest.

Coach and Players' Comments

UEMATSU Koto (PSTC Londrina U-18)
We've clinched the final round and I'm relieved. We are competing in this tournament as a futsal team, so we've got to win the championship. I know that there are some gaps in terms of the physicality with the football teams, but we hope to get them off balance with our passing.

Usually I play in the F League, but it feels a little different in this tournament and the level is high. I've felt throughout the tournament that the teams who normally play football have the ability to come through at the right timing and play 1-on-1.

IKOMA Rui (FC Seiwa Gakuen)
We'd won in the previous tournament, so we had some pressure that we couldn't afford to lose here. In our game yesterday (against Sakuyo High School), we weren't able to enjoy it, making it a passive game on our side, and I think that was the main reason why we lost. It definitely tightened ourselves because of the loss.

We told ourselves to have some fun and I think we were able to take advantage of yesterday's loss for today's win. I believe that we can win as long as we stick to our own game in the final round, too, so we would like to keep playing how we played today.

JFA-TV (Japanese version only)

The 2nd All Japan Youth (U-18) Futsal Tournament
KOMORI Takahiro, Coach (U-18 Japan Futsal National Team) -Interview 

The 2nd All Japan Youth (U-18) Futsal Tournament

Thu. 20 August – Sun. 23 August 2015
XEBIO ARENA SENDAI, Sendai City Gymnasium / Miyagi 
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