Day two of the JFA 18th O-60 Japan Football Tournament took place on Sunday 27 May at Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture. As a result, the four teams advancing to the final round were set.

With two matches of the first round remaining for each team, the day was full of drama.

In Group A, Hyogo Prefecture Senior 60 Select Team (Kansai/Hyogo) did not let go of their lead. Their third match against Lazos Koga F.C. (Kanto3/Ibaraki) entered half time tied at 0-0, but Hyogo managed to score three goals in the second half to win out of the group with three consecutive wins. The Hyogo side was the only team out of the 16 teams to finish the first round without conceding a goal. Fukuoka Rokujyukara Football Club (Kyushu2/Fukuoka) also scored three goals in the second half to win over Fukushima Senior Select Team (Host/Fukushima) 4-0.

Yokkaichi Football Club (Tokai1/Mie) in Group B had an eventful day. Their first match was against Gunma FC 60 (Kanto2/Gunma) who had won their first match by scoring three goals. The match was decided by a late goal as Yokkaichi capitilised on their limited opportunities. With just one win away from making their way into the final round the Mie side dominated the first half against Hakodate Shijyukara 60 (Hokkaido/2) but entered half time scoreless. Conversely conceded a goal in the second half from a set play, which was the Hakodate side’s first shot of the match. Meanwhile group rival Gunma was up by two goals by half time, reserving the top spot at the moment. However, in the remaining half, Yokkaichi managed to equalise the match while Gunma gave up their two-goal lead to Selecao Nagano 60 (Hokushinetsu1/Nagano), allowing Yokkaichi to advance to win out of the group league where top three teams were within a mere point.

Group C saw the two undefeated teams, Fujieda Football Club (Tokai2/Shizuoka) and Saitama Senior 60 (Kanto1/Saitama) square off in the final match. It was the Shizuoka side who scored first as they pressured aggressively from the attacking third to score off a free kick. However, in the second half, Saitama rallied back. In the sixth minute of the second half, a loose ball following a free kick was converted by the Saitama side to level the match. Just two minutes later, Saitama delivered multiple shots to pry open the Fujieda defence to score the go-ahead goal, winning the match with a final score of 2-1 in this high-level bout.

Close competition was brewed in Group D as the winner was decided by goal difference. After the second match, three teams still had a chance to advance to the final round. Kumamoto Senior (Kyushu1/Kumamoto) had won their two matches, and they were just a win away from advancing. However, Hiroshima Sixties (Chugoku/Hiroshima) showed great enthusiasm in the match where they scored the opening goal. Both teams went on to score a goal in the second half, but Hiroshima prevailed as the winner of the match. With this result, the two teams were tied in first place, but Kumamoto edged their rival with a mere one goal difference, clinching the final round.

The final round will be held on Monday 28 May to determine the National Champion.

Players' Comments

AKASHI Akira (Hakodate Shijyukara 60)
As expected, teams playing in the National Championship are very strong. Thanks to our great team work, we managed to win our second match in this group stage. Our average age is a bit higher than others, but our practice allowed us to accomplish a better record than last year. We finished with a tie and two losses last year, including a loss against Selecao Nagano 60, but we managed to win against them this year. It was our first win in two years in this competition, so we are very glad for the victory. We must win through the Hokkaido qualifiers to play in this tournament again. We will do our best to win through the qualifiers to play again next year.

KOMIYAMA Nobuo（Ueda Ohboshi Soccer Club Senior)
I have played in this tournament with a different team before, but for most of our team it was the first time, so we looked a little nervous. After we drank some alcohol, we managed to play our game today. We couldn’t win, but we performed well. It was our tenth year since we started the team, and for us to play in the National Championship in our tenth year was something special. For many of us including myself, we will be turning 70 this year, so we will start to prepare for the O-70 competition for next year. I will continue to play football, so that I can play in the O-70 championship as well. I hope to enjoy football for life.

TASAKI Tadanobu (Yokkaichi Football Club)
We were just a win away from advancing, but the match didn’t turn out the way we expected. We managed to win against the runners-up of Kanto, Gunma FC 60, and we wanted to ride the momentum to win our third match as well, but after losing our ace-striker with injury, we couldn’t find our rhythm. We couldn’t win, but we showed great enthusiasm to display our willingness to advance. We are prepared to run, and that is our strong point. We must be able to convert the opportunities when it matters.

AOKI Kogo (Fujieda Football Club)
We have played many times against our last opponent, Saitama Senior 60, including the Nenrinpic, and depending on the players, in their college days and adult leagues. We managed to score early, so we though we can keep our lead, but unfortunately, we couldn’t. We train once a week, and many of our teammates work out on their own, so compared to most people in their sixties, we can run more. We are not a select team, so we invited guest players from our rival teams such as Hamamatsu and Yaizu to win the title. Shizuoka has been famous for football, but we haven’t won the title for a while, so we will continue to strive to do better. I hope to continue with my football career in my seventies.

JFA 18th O-60 Japan Football Tournament

Tournament Dates: Sat. 26 May - Mon. 28 May 2018
Tournament Venue: Soma Koyo Soccer Field / Soma City, Fukushima

Tournament Info