The 23rd All Japan High School Women’s Football Tournament entered its second round on Sunday 4 January.

Pickup Match1

Yanagigaura High School (Kyushu 3/Oita) 1-4 (1st 0-2, 2nd 1-2) Seiwa Gakuen High School (Tohoku 2/Miyagi)

One of the contests for the last eight was between Yanagigaura High School (Kyushu 3/Oita), who got through the first round by a penalty shootout, and Seiwa Gakuen High School (Tohoku 2/Miyagi), claiming a comeback win to advance to the second round.
While Seiwa Gakuen found their own rhythm with crisp passes, Yanagigaura put high pressure on the ball and went up front. In the 19th minute, Seiwa Gakuen Abe Yukiko’s left-footed shot was well saved by Yanagigaura goalkeeper Uemura Mayu. The deadlock was broken in the 21st minute, when Shimoyama Riko of Seiwa Gakuen put an opening goal into the net from a goalmouth scramble. After one minute, Seiwa Gakuen continued to play short passes in front of Yanagigaura’s goal, and Nagai Saki finally tapped it in to pull her side away from Yanagigaura. Yanagigaura looked for a chance to come back but were unable to do so before the first half ended.
After starting the second half with two-goal down, Yanagigaura sent on captain Nomura Nanami to seek a goal more aggressively. While wasting goal-scoring chances, in the 58th minute, they allowed Seiwa Gakuen to break through the left flank and conceded another goal to Shimoyama. Seiwa Gakuen took back the initiative with their third goal of the day. In the 65th minute, Shimoyama fired the ball fed by Nagai in front of goal and it was once denied by goalkeeper Uemura. But Kitagawa Nene tapped the deflection into the net to make it 4-0. Although Yanagigaura continued to run to the end and Kaneshige Sari scored a consolation goal in the 77th minute, the match ended with Seiwa Gakuen’s 4-1 win. Their final eight appearance is for the first time in the last seven tournaments.

Match Detail

Pickup Match2

Hinomoto Gakuen Senior High School (Kansai 1/Hyogo) 4-0 (1st 2-0, 2nd 2-0) Chinzei Gakuin High School (Kyushu 2/Nagasaki)

Reigning champions Hinomoto Gakuen Senior High School (Kansai 1/Hyogo) welcomed Chinzei Gakuin High School (Kyushu 2/Nagasaki) at home. Chinzei Gakuin made the second round for the first time ever in their seventh appearance in seven years.
Hinomoto Gakuen started out the match with attacking intent but made continuous passing errors toward up front that kept allowing Chizei Gakuin to create their own chances from interceptions. Despite such stagnancy, when Hinomoto Gakuen gained a corner kick in the 15th minute, Hiratsuka Maki headed Takemura Misaki’s corner home to open the scoreline. As Hinomoto Gakuen created more chances from sides, Hiratsuka again headed Hara Yuka’s cross from the right into the net in the 40th minute.

Chinzei Gakuin showed tenacious defence and tried to rally back but were unable to break through Hinomoto Gakuen’s defence. Hinomoto Gakuen kept dormant for a while, yet Takemura scored twice through a corner kick in the 63rd minute and a penalty kick earned by sub Mehara Rina in the 69th minute. Hinomoto Gakuen claimed the quarter-final spot with a shutout win.

Match Detail

Comments

NAGAI Saki (Seiwa Gakuen High School)
We lost in the second round at the last two tournaments so wanted to work hard in this tournament on behalf of the upper-class players who lost in those years. We had some stretches when we allowed opponents to attack, but it’s great if we can play our game and raise the ball possession to go forward. We will play against Tokiwagi Gakuen High School in the quarterfinals who we have never won in three years. I hope we can win with Seiwa’s football “playing beautifully and lithely.”

KANESHIGE Sari (Yanagigaura High School)
We first set our objective “playing the national tournament in three straight years” when we just started our first-grade year and then we achieved it, but it’s been disappointing that we kept failing to get past the second round. Because I was going to overcome it in my last tournament at any cost, the result is very disappointing. Early in the second half, we weren’t able to make it to goals in spite of the good momentum, and I felt sorry for our defenders who made great efforts. But I was happy to score in the end. Our grade had lots of members who had strong personalities, so we sometimes had emotional clashes. But I’m full of appreciation for getting on the pitch here in the end.

HIRATSUKA Maki (Hinomoto Gakuen Senior High School)
It was good that we scored early in the first half, but we need to improve our play to determine when to stay calm and connect passes or when to promptly attack forward. (About the two goals) my teammate fed a great ball and our team are good at corner kicks, so I definitely wanted to make it. I’ve personally got supports from our third grade seniors, so I will try hard to get the championship to repay them for what they have done for me.

MATSUO Yurika (Chinzei Gakuin High School)
We talked to each other before the game “let’s go for it putting our hearts together”. I am frustrated for not reaching to the last four. We could exchange pass much more than expected but I felt the more you go up, the less chance for a goal per shoot. The players of Chinzei Gakuin High School are in good terms no matter senior or junior. I would hope junior players going to go for the last eight for which we could not reach. It has been three years of taking care each other. I did my best demonstrating all I have.

All Japan High School Women's Football Tournament

Sat. 3 January -  Sun. 11 January 2015
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