The 26th Price Takamado Trophy All-Japan Youth Championships (Under-15) hosted its semifinal matches at K's Denki Stadium Mito in Ibaraki Prefecture on 25 December.

Vissel Kobe Under-15 (Kansai 2) 1, Kyoto Sanga F.C. Under-15 (Kansai 3) 0 (0-0 in first half, 1-0 in second half)

For the first semifinal game, Kobe, who had defeated the reigning champions Urawa Reds Junior Youth (Kanto 4), took on Kyoto, who advanced to the semis by winning a penalty shootout in their quarterfinals against Yokohama F. Marinos Youth (Kanto 3). Kobe seized the momentum early on, and on 15th minute, IMAOKA Yota received a pass from WATANABE Kazuya, who robbed the ball at a high place, and Imaoka put it into the goal. But it ended in an off-side. Kobe kept attacking around Imaoka afterward, but Kyoto wouldn't yield a goal as the game entred halftime.

Kobe retained their momentum in the second half, yet had hard times scoring a goal as the time went on. And Kobe eventually became cautious so they would not give one chance for Kyoto to have a goal, just like Kobe did against Urawa in the quarterfinals, in which they capitalized one of their few chanced given. On 68th minute, Kyoto's TSUNO Ayase found a space to create a one-on-one situation with Kobe's goalkeeper SUAMI Tsuyoshi, but Suami saved it composedly.

And then on 72nd, Imaoka, who ran into space behind Kyoto's defensive line, fired a shot for a goal. It was his second consecutive game to come up with a game-winning goal. Kyoto tried to catch up with Kobe with their intense pressing, but came up short as Kobe ran away with a 1-0 victory. Kobe booked their first championship game spot since the 2009 edition of the tourney, in which they ended up winning the title.

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2nd semifinal match

Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C Junior Youth (Chugoku 1)  0-1 (1st 0-1, 2nd 0-0) FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa (Kanto2)

Hiroshima have played three straight extra time contests, including penalty shootouts, and FC Tokyo have proceeded with their high-power offence. And these two sides faced against each other in the second semifinal game. Hiroshima took advantage of their pass works using the sides and created a lot of scoring opportunities in front of the FC Tokyo goal early on. But FC Tokyo patiently endured Hiroshima's attacks with their defensive efforts, and then began making some good scoring chances past 30 minutes into the game. On 34th minute, YOSHIDA Kazuhiro headed a corner kick from the left side into the goal to put FC Tokyo a 1-0 lead.

FC Tokyo tried to grab the momentum with their aggressive defence early in the second half, yet it was Hiroshima who occupied the battle. Hiroshima sent forward MIHARA Hiroyuki onto the pitch past 60th minute, forming a four-forward front along with SENBA Taishi, AKEHI Tomohiro and FUJIWARA Yuta, and attempted to have heavy offensive attacks. But FC Tokyo didn't lose their concentration and get rattled. Hiroshima looked superior until the end of the game, but FC Tokyo capitalized on a set play for a goal and preserved it to post the win. FC Tokyo earned a chance to notch their first championship since the 2008 tourney.

The championship match will be played between Kobe and FC Tokyo, both of whom will look to earn their second championship, at Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka on 27 December.

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Comments of coaches, players

TANIGAWA Yuma (Vissel Kobe Under-15)
We had longer time to have the ball and create scoring opportunities, but weren't able to put one in. So it was great that our ace netted one for us. It often happens in football that you have hard times scoring and then get beaten with just one shot. We've learned it in the Sunrise League (Kansai), and were able to have more men on the side with the ball. I think that we have a stronger mind-set to want to become the best in Japan than any other teams. We want to put up what we can do on the pitch and win the final as well.

KISHIMOTO Yosuke, head coach (Kyoto Sanga F.C. Under-15)
Our players kept playing hard not giving up the game until the end. When our defence was working from up front, we were able to advance the ball forward connecting the ball. However, when we weren't able to run, we became too passive. The opponents were good and didn't allow us to find ways to capture them, so we gave them to have the ball for a longer time. Yet that we played physically and patiently in front of our own goal was something we'd continuously done and something we've grown in. Plus, what enabled us to make the last four was that each of our players played with confidence and a sense of responsibility.

SAWADA Kentaro, head coach (Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C. Junior Youth)
Possibly, they were affected by the fatigue that they'd gotten from their previous three games (extra minutes), our players seemed stiff and didn't have flexibility in the first half. After we allowed a one-goal lead to the opponents, I thought that we could still make a comeback and alter the momentum, but the opponents were stronger physically. In our quarterfinal match against Cerezo Osaka, we weren't able to create our own minutes, so our thoughts were heavily on our attacks. We played a natl-biting contest and you can only experience this at a national tournament. It was surely great for us to be able to compete in this tournament and our players certainly spent such valuable times here.

YOSHIDA Kazuhiro (FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa)
I believe I was able to find the goal because I had a firm determination of scoring in this game for having been off the target in the tournament. We were holding on today and reached the final for all the players played hard hopefully to win the tournament by putting all of our energy together. Our game strategy is to defence in the frontline and get the ball for creating a chance from there. I want to clinch the title by showing our strengths. I am a firm believer in winning the tournament if we can play as usually we do.

Prince Takamado Trophy All Japan Youth (U-15) Football Tournament

Saturday, December 20, 2014 - Saturday December 27, 2014
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