The first round of the 23rd All Japan High School Women’s Football Tournament started out on Saturday 3 January at eight different venues in Hyogo.

Pickup Match１

Kobe Daiichi High School (Host Prefecture/Hyogo) 1-8 (1st 1-2, 2nd 0-6) Mie High School (Tokai 3/Mie)

The match between hosts Kobe Daiichi High School (Hyogo) and a tournament debutant Mie High School (Tokai 3/Mie) kicked off at 10:45 a.m. at Goshikidai Sports Park Main Field.
Mie found a rhythm early. They built up their attack with composed passes to look for the Kobe Daiichi’s net. In the 9th minute, Hino Mizuki cut into the centre and fired with her left foot to find the net. Kobe Daiichi also sought a chance to come back as they got out of Mie’s attacks. In the 24th minute, after Maeda Aiki managed to grab the corner kick, Kido Maimu tapped it in with her body to level the score. However, Mie’s eleven, sent on the pitch with coach Tanaka Shinya’s words “Let’s get second and third goals (even after we score first),” further enhanced their attacking momentum not to give away the initiative to Kobe Daiichi. After Mie tried to unlock the Kobe Daiichi’s tenacious defence, in the 35th minute, Hino rushed in and tacked on another goal by calmly accessing the opposing goalkeeper’s position that just left the goal at the moment.
Mie continued to keep the initiative in the second half. In the 5th minute, Kawaguchi headed in Yamamoto Saori’s corner kick at the near post. Mie added five more goals against Kobe Daiichi, seeming to be tired, to advance to the second round. Hino, who led the offensive end with her speedy dribble, turned in four goals, and Kawaguchi achieved a hat trick.

Match Detail

Pickup Match2

Naruto Uzushio High School (Shikoku 2/Tokushima) 6-0 (1st 2-0, 2nd 4-0) Matsusho Gakuen High School (Hokushinetsu 3/Nagano)

Naruto Uzushio High School (Shikoku 2/Tokushima) at their third consecutive appearance and Matsusho Gakuen High School (Hokushinetsu 3/Nagano) at their debut appearance squared off each other in the second match of the day at the Goshikidai Sports Park Main Field.
While Naruto Uzushio aggressively went on an offensive attack, Matsusho Gakuen appeared to be a bit tensed up from the beginning of the match. In the 3rd minute, when Naruto Uzushio’s Yamada Risako sent in a cross from the left flank, unmarked Takeda Manami put it into the back of the net to open the scoreline. Naruto Uzushio took the attacking momentum with the goal and looked for another goal. Matsusho Gakuen tenaciously tried to come back as they attempted to make offensive transitions after getting the ball, but failed to link them to shooting opportunities. Naruto Uzushio’s continuous threats against Matsusho Gakuen finally paid off in the 36th minute. Umezu Moe in front of the goal tidily tapped in Yamada’s set-up to give their side an additional lead.
In the second half, as Matsusho Gakuen were seeking a breakthrough by switching around players’ positions, Takahashi Asuka rushed into an open space and launched a shot in the 2nd minute of the second half, but her shot went off target. While the fights on the ball gradually intensified, Naruto Uzushio’s Morimoto Saki scored her side’s third goal teed up by Takeda in the 60th. In the 67th and 76th, Tenjin Yurina and Umezu headed home from corner kicks respectively. In the closing minutes, Hirose Momoka put a right cross from Morioka Yui to determine the score. Naruto Uzushio got through the first round with a six-goal rout.

Match Detail

Comments

FURUKAWA Sho, Head Coach (Kobe Daiichi High School)
We all managed to defend in the first half but after losing a goal from a bit of gap, we failed to put ourselves back together. Our players have been supported by lots of people including their parents and teachers. I told the players to show our gratitude to them and to fight with 100% energy. They fought it out until the end. We have just first and second grade students now. With the result of the 1-8 loss in our heart, we will turn it to our motivation and get prepared for the next year.

HINO Mizuki (Mie High School)
I got tense because it was the opening match, but we said to each other before the match we are definitely getting a win. The match was tough at the beginning. But in the second half, we got our momentum, and I’m happy to get a goal. Speed is my strong point. I was able to score the goal thanks to my teammates who understand it and take advantage of it. I didn’t get to play this tournament during my 1st and 2nd grade period, so I’m glad to play and happy to get on the pitch. I will focus on a win at the second round as well and we will win at any cost.

OMOKAWA Tatsuo, Head Coach (Matsusho Gakuen High School)
I said to my players “You will be fine if you believe in yourself, believe in your peers and try your best,” but they were quite tense at the beginning and conceded a goal early. The players who normally take a centre role of the team did not show desirable performance today. You can’t easily win a match on the first national stage. The opponents surpassed us in all aspects including individual ability and physical intensity. I will try to enhance areas that we need to improve and hopefully make a team that can win at the national level.

UMEZU Moe (Naruto Uzushio High School）
In the beginning we had a difficult time getting used to the national championship atmosphere and couldnot play as we usually do but we began to play as usual after scoring the opener early on. I was very happy to get the goal in the national championship and everyone was on upbeat because even the first year player scored the goal. The team was formed with 11 players when third year players including me were first year players. I am going to play out the game demonstrating what we’ve been training for three years. The biggest strength of UZUSHIO is putting all our energy together – players, substitutes in the bench and members cheering in the stadium. All of us are determined to do the best we can for the next game.

All Japan High School Women's Football Tournament

Sat. 3 January -  Sun. 11 January 2015
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