Monday 9 July saw the semi-finals and final of the JFA 17th O-50 Japan Football Tournament take place at Fujieda City, Shizuoka.

Semi-Finals

MITAKA EAGLES 1-0 (0-0, 1-0) Hyogo Soccer Club
Nakatsu OB Soccer Club 2-0 (2-0, 0-0) Nicols FC Senior

The match between the eastern and western representatives, MITAKA EAGLES (Kanto 2/Tokyo) and Hyogo Soccer Club (Kansai 1/Hyogo) became an intense battle where the teams fought for the deciding goal. After both teams fell short of converting their chances in the first half, the Tokyo side scored the long-awaited goal in the second half. MITAKA’s Coach FUJINO Kotaro spoke of his team, “Our team’s core lies on defence. Once we score a goal, we close out the match. That is the MITAKA style football.” Just as the coach described, the match saw MITAKA effectively shutting down the Hyogo side from scoring the equaliser, ending the match with a score of 1-0.

The other side of the bracket saw the two teams who has recorded three consecutive wins in the group league square off, as Nakatsu OB Soccer Club (Kyushu 1/Oita) and Nicols FC Senior (Kansai 2/Osaka) battled for the spot into the final. The match initially saw both teams taking turns to attack, but it was the Kyushu side who broke the deadlock. The opening goal came when Nakatsu’s NAKANO Sawami broke through after responding to a long ball delivered by a defender. Although Nakano’s shot was once blocked by the Nicols’ goalkeeper, TOTOKI Kakuji was there to convert the loose ball into he open net. Gaining momentum on their side, Nakatsu continued to press forward as Totoki forced a turnover deep in the opponent’s territory. The ball was then passed to TERAI Hideyuki who was waiting for the ball just outside the penalty box. Terai’s shot gave Nakatsu a two-goal lead, which the team managed to secure until the final whistle, setting up the final fixture for the tournament.

Final

MITAKA EAGLES 1-1 (0-0, 1-1, PK3-4) Nakatsu OB Soccer Club

Just as last year’s tournament, the final was once again played by teams from Kanto and Kyushu. The final did not lack action, to say the least. It was Nakatsu who created the first opportunity as Totoki earned a freekick in the third minute, after penetrating the left side. Terai took the spot kick, delivering a cross to NAKAHATA Mitsuhiro, who took a shot that went just over the crossbar. Despite giving up opportunities to Nakatsu in the early minutes, MITAKA gradually took control of the ball possession to create their own chances. In the 15th minute, they struck the crossbar, while in the 17th minute, an unmarked YAMAMOTO Mitsuo caught the Nakatsu defenders off guard to take a shot in the penalty area but fell short from scoring the goal. A mid-range shot was also taken in the 19th minute, but the attempt was denied by Nakatsu’s goalkeeper UMEDA Tomoyuki’s superb effort, as the match entered halftime scoreless.

The equally matched battle saw a quick turn of an event early in the second half. In the 25th minute, Nakatsu’s Totoki made a great individual effort to earn a penalty kick, which Terai calmly converted to give his side the long-awaited opener. Desperate to level the match, MITAKA rallied back, but the solid defence displayed by the Nakatsu side did not allow them to score a goal, as the match reached the 40th minute still with just one goal registered. Just as everyone thought that the match would end there, MITAKA came through with a clutch goal in additional times with their power play, scoring the equaliser from OTANI Satoshi’s header, sending the match into penalty shootouts. However, despite their final minute effort to come back, MITAKA failed to convert two of their penalties, falling short to Nakatsu, who converted all four of their attempts. After everything was set and done, Nakatsu took down the National Title in their first appearance in the tournament.

Coach and Players' Comments

YOKOYAMA Tokifumi, Coach (Nakatsu OB Soccer Club)
When we gave up the equaliser at the very last minute, I thought maybe it wasn’t our time, but the players managed to fight through the penalty kicks and I am very glad about this result. We entered the final as we have always done, and we just grinded our way through. As long as we stayed persistent, we knew we were going to gain momentum and create chances. As a coach, I just had to believe in my players and watch them display our style of football. Our experience from last year which we lost in penalty kicks against Fukuoka in the Kyushu qualifier, has helped us pull a win this year. The players have played well and earned this result.

NAKAHATA Mitsuhiro (Nakatsu OB Soccer Club)
It was a tough final, but we gave all we’ve got and enjoyed the match. Our team does not necessary have great players. However, led by our coach, we showed great cohesiveness to support and cover each other through out the tournament. I think the fact we believed in ourselves gave us this result. This tournament was such a wonderful tournament, and without our opponents, referees, and all the tournament staffs, this would never be possible, so I would like to thank everyone who has made this possible.

FUJINO Kotaro (MITAKA EAGLES)
Our team plays in the second division of the Tokyo Senior Football League, so making it all the way to the National Championship’s final was not something we expected. I am satisfied that we made it this far. The fact that the team managed to level the match in the final seconds of the match shows great improvements as a team, and we feel like we have proven our capability to the rest of the nation. In this tournament, we saw many people with great passions towards football, and we enjoyed ourselves playing against such people. It is a very tough task to win through the Tokyo qualifiers, but we would like to make our way through so that we can play in this tournament again next year.

OH Dong Gun (Hyogo Soccer Club)
We saw a fortunate turn of an event during our semi-final match, which made me think maybe we can win through, but it wasn’t that easy. You never know what happens in football, and that can be said especially in a National tournament like this. Our opponents showed their strong intention to play their game, and they were better than us in that aspect. With that being said, I am certainly not satisfied with the result. Looking back, I have nothing but regrets. However, we just have to feed off of this experience and improve the quality of our Hyogo style football. Our goal is set for next year’s National Title.

Semi-final Highlights

Final Highlights

JFA 17th O-50 Japan Football Tournament

Tournament Dates: Sat. 7 July - Mon. 9 July 2018
Tournament Site: Fujieda City, Shizuoka

Tournament Information