On Wednesday 26 December the first round of the JFA 42nd U-12 Japan Football Championship took place at Kagoshima Fureai Sportsland. The first and second match was held under light rain, but the matches did not lack action despite the weather.

In Group J, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo U-12 (Hokkaido) and Verdy SS Iwate U-12 (Iwate) entertained the crowd with an intense match. Despite the first half ending scoreless, the second half saw both sides attacking with great aggression. It was Consadole who struck first in the 37th minute when SOGABE Shu captured the opener, but Verdy’s TANAKA Ayuto scored the equaliser just a minute later. The equally matched bout finished in an 1-1 draw.

The second match of this group featured the two Verdy sides, as Verdy SS Iwate U-12 and Tokyo Verdy Junior (Tokyo) faced each other. In this match it was the Tokyo side who had the upper hand, as they won the match with a final score of 7-1.

Group B featured a matchup between Avispa Fukuoka U-12 (Fukuoka) and FC. Fervor Aichi (Aichi) in the second match. It was the Fukuoka side who took control of the ball possession, but they struggled to break through the solid defence displayed by FC. Fervor. While Avispa came close to conceding the goal many times in the second half, they managed to score the game winner from a counter attack, as HAYAMI Jin converted their opportunity in the closing minutes of the match to give them an 1-0 victory.

Group I saw Asahigaoka FC (Ishikawa) earn two straight wins, propelled by their captain TERASHITA Towa’s hat-tricks scored in back-to-back matches. The defence line of the Ishikawa side remained solid to keep a clean sheet throughout the day.

In the same group, Megere Gifu Mizuho F.C. (Gifu) earned a come-from-behind victory in their second match against Montedio Yamagata Junior Shonai (Yamagata), where they rallied back from being two-goals down in the first half. ICHIKAWA Ryutaro utilised the width of the field effectively, while MANO Shunsuke applied aggressive pressure upfront to capture four goals in the second half to give the Gifu side the win.

The third match of the first round will be held on Thursday 27 December at the same venue to determine the teams advancing to the round of 16. The group leaders along with the top four teams finishing in second place will advance to the next round.

Players' Comments

YAMASAKI Haruki (Sagan Tosu U-12)
We struggled to score goals in our first match and we had to endure a tough match until our equaliser in the second half, but we were able to showcase our persistency in this match. Our team is capable of scoring from crosses, so we hope to score may goals and showcase a victorious match. Our goal is to take down the title.

IWAHASHI Haon (F.C. Valentia)
We entered the tournament with the goal to advance through the knockout stage. I feel like we could have defended better in our first match. Our strengths lie on our attacks from dribbles. The team has worked hard on improving our dribbling skills, so that is our biggest weapon. As a defender, my strong point is my ability to win the one-on-ones. We hope to showcase our solid defence and win the remaining match with our dribbling attacks.

IWADATE Sou (Verdy SS Iwate U-12)
I was a little nervous in the first match, but our team did well both in offence and defence to keep our composure. Our strength is in our offence and we hope to win the title with it. However, we have conceded many goals and failed to convert the opportunities we were given, so we must improve in those aspects to achieve our goal.

OGAWA Tatsuya (SSS Yamaguchi FC)
We saw some opportunities in the early minutes of the first match but couldn’t convert them. We must be able to score from set-pieces as well. Our team’s strong point is our ability to work hard. We will work hard as a team to achieve our goal to advance to the round of 16.

JFA 42nd U-12 Japan Football Championship

Tournament Dates: Tue. 25 - Sat. 29 December 2018

Opening Ceremony
Date: Tue. 25 December 2018
Location: Kagoshima Cultural Hall

1st Round/Round of 16
Date: Wed. 26 & Thu. 27 December 2018
Venue: Kagoshima Fureai Sportsland

Quaterfinals
Date: Fri. 28 December 2018
Venue: Kamoike Auxiliary Track & Field

Semi-finals/Final
Date: Fri. 28 & Sat. 29 December 2018
Venue: Shiranami Stadium

*All matches held in Kagoshima City

Tournament Information