The JFA 25th U-15 Japan Women's Football Championship semi-finals took place at AGF Field on Sunday 26 December to determine the two teams advancing to the final held at Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka on Monday 28 December. (There will be no third place match this year.)

Pick-up Match1

Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara Avvenire 1-2 (1-0, 0-2) Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies Junior Youth

The first fixture featured Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara Avvenire (Kanto1/Kanagawa) who reached their second semi-finals in three years, and the defending champion Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies Junior Youth (Kanto2/Saitama), who is seeking for their eighth overall title. The match saw Urawa dominate the ball possession in the early minutes, but led by SHIMIZU Yuzuki and YOSHIDA Iori, Nojima Stella did not give away any close chances to the defending champion. Conversely, it was the Kanagawa side who scored the opening goal, as Shimizu capitalised on the CK delivered by ODAKA Yume in the 16th minute.

In efforts to fight back, Urawa’s coach MOMOTAKE Eri utilised her substitutes during halftime and shifted TAKEUCHI Ami to the flank to change their point of attack. The Urawa side also started to apply more pressure upfront, which turned out to be effective, as they capitalised on a turnover forced deep in the Nojima territory that led to the equaliser scored by MAEHARA Yoshino in the 45th minute. Maehara, who scored in three consecutive matches leading to the semi-finals, gave Urawa the lead in the 60th minute, when she scored her second goal of the match.

With their backs against the wall, Nojima Stella sought for their chances by collecting the ball to SASAI Yua, but Urawa’s NATSUME Marin showcased great coverage to keep their one goal lead intact. Nojima Stella’s final opportunity came in the closing seconds of the match, when a shot was taken following a goal mouth scramble, but the attempt was denied by the cross bar. Despite coming within inches to level the match, Nojima Stella fell short, as Urawa advanced to the final.

Pick-up Match2

JFA Academy Fukushima 1-0 (0-0, 1-0) Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Serias

In the match between JFA Academy Fukushima (Tokai1/Shizuoka) and Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Serias (Kanto3/Tokyo), it was the Fukushima side who took the initiative through their aggressive pressure, as KIMURA Miki and TANIKAWA Momoko were seen chasing the ball from the frontline. Nippon TV Serias on the other hand, tried seeking for their pass courses, as their captain IKEGAMI Seina made attempts to break down the flanks. Despite the offensive efforts made by the two sides, the match entered halftime scoreless.

With both sides showing great composure in defence, the score remained tied deep into the match, but following the water break, it was the Academy side who started to increase their dominance, and the deadlock was broken in the 73rd minute. The goal came when Academy Fukushima’s SAKAKI Manaka delivered a pass to HARA Hibari, who struck a shot from the edge of the box. The shot ricocheted off the left post and found Kimura, who was there to convert the rebound into the net.

In efforts to equalise, Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Serias made attempts in the closing minutes, including the header struck by TAKAOKA Mio, but her effort was denied by the fine save made by Fukushima’s GK KASHIMA Akari. With time running out, Academy Fukushima reached their second final in three years.

Coach and Players' Comments

TAKEUCHI Ami (Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies Junior Youth)
We lost to Nojima at the Kanto league, so we were fully committed to win this match as a team. We made sure during halftime about how we were going to approach the second half, and it really allowed us to stay on the same page to apply pressure, which I think led to our goals. I will always give my best efforts, regardless of where I am played, and play hard until the very end. Scoring goals is one thing, but my priority is set on the team’s victory.

SHIMIZU Yuzuki (Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara Avvenire)
We managed to score early and finished the first half with good momentum, but we were overwhelmed by our opponent’s pressure and conceded back to back goals in the second half. It was disappointing that we couldn’t keep our lead. I am always anticipating to score (from a CK) but I think this was the first time I scored from a CK.

KIMURA Miki (JFA Academy Fukushima)
In today’s match, we were determined to play aggressively from the frontline, and despite facing some tough stints, we kept talking to each other and stuck together as a team. I think we showed more willingness to win the fifty-fifty balls. There were opportunities I couldn’t finish in the early minutes, so I am glad I was able to convert that last chance. I am sure the final will present us with a great challenge, but we will stay strong to win the match.

SAKATANI Takeharu, Coach (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Serias)
The players played well, but it was unfortunate that we couldn’t win the match. We wanted to play more aggressively, but couldn’t apply pressure upfront, which led to this result. Although this was the final tournament for the senior players, it is not the end of their football career, so I hope they can reset their minds and move on. For the younger players, I hope they will continue to work hard so that they can return to this wonderful stage.

JFA 25th U-15 Japan Women's Football Championship

Tournament duration: Sat. 12 - Mon. 28 December 2020

Tournament Information