‘adidas CUP 2014 The JAPAN Club Youth (U-18) Football Championship’, which decides the best U-18 club team in Japan, will start on Thursday 24 July.

This year will be the 38th club youth football championship. Many regional clubs, including J League clubs’ development squads, have participated in this championship and many players, who have experienced this competition, now play in the J.League and the national team.

Many strong teams, such as last year's winners, Yokohama F・Marinos Youth (Kanto) and Vissel Kobe U-18 (Kansai), who won the 2013 J Youth Cup last winter, will take part in this year’s championship.
As the number of participating teams has increased to 32 this time, there are many new faces. The regional qualifying rounds have been unpredictable aand exciting, in which Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C Youth, who took the second place in the championship last year, failed to qualify. The 32 surviving teams will play to become the best youth club team.

The matches from the first round to the quarterfinals will take place at eight pitches in Gunma. The semifinals and the final will be at either the athletics stadium in Mitsuzawa Park or the Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium in Yokohama. It would be appreciated if you could come and support the players, who will play big roles in Japanese football in the future.

adidas CUP 2014 The JAPAN Club Youth (U-18) Football Championship

From Wednesday 23 July 2014 to Saturday 2 August 2014
At eight pitches in Gunma prefecture, the athletics stadium in Mitsuzawa Park and the Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium (Yokohama)
The details of the championship can be found here.