The second day of the first round of the PUMA CUP 2015, the 20th All Japan Futsal Championship started on Saturday 7 March.

The first match was between Shonan Bellmare (F League) and SWH Futsal Club (Kansai 1) in group C at Maishima Arena in Osaka. Shonan, who lost their first section on the first day and couldn’t lose any more, struck the opener from Kondo Junya, followed by three more goals. Although SWH attacked fiercely in the second half, closing the gap to one goal, Ando Ryohei scored a goal just before the final whistle. Shonan Bellmare won the game 5-3, keeping their hope for the final round alive. The next match was between Pescadola Machida (F League) and Nagoya Oceans Satellite (Tokai 1). It was very competitive at the beginning of the game, but Machida gradually started to press, scoring four goals in the first half. Then in the second half, Takita Manabu struck a deciding goal. Machida won the match 5-1 following on from their first victory.

In group D, there were numerous dynamic shots. The match between Voscuore Sendai Satellite (Tohoku) and FC mm (Kanto 3) stayed 1-1 until half time. Then both of the teams started to focus on attack, chipping in shots. Sendai Satellite succeeded in building their lead with two goals by Inoue Suguru and won the game 4-2.

Vasagey Oita (F League) played against Ikeda Makoto Shoten (Kyushu 1). Both teams are from Kyushu. After two minutes, Oita earned a score first from the opponent’s own goal and then by scoring consecutive goals after that, building a five-goal lead in total. They never stopped attacking in the second half and won a sweeping victory 11-0. They showed the spirit of the F League, and moved into a clear lead.

In other groups, teams from the F League, including Fugador Sumida, Fuchu Athletic F.C., Bardral Urayasu and Deucao Kobe, all won second straight victories, as expected. They moved into a clear lead in their respective groups. All eyes will be looking to see whether they can stay unbeaten in the last day of the first round.

On the other hand, three regional teams, including Torobravo Toyama (Hokushinetsu), Set Star Wakayama (Kansai 2) and Saude Wasada (Kyushu 2), conceded goals and lost two consecutive games. They hope to gain points on the last day of the first round to finish their championship on Sunday 8 March. Only the teams that top each group can advance to the next stage. Which team will be in the final round?

Comments

UEDA Masahiko, Head coach（SWH Futsal Club）
We didn’t start well, playing awkwardly from the beginning. We conceded a goal from a counter-attack in the early stages of the game and learned that we needed a tenacious defence to beat a team from the F League. As the opponent was physically bigger and better at running in attack, we should have showed our playing style – attacking to the space behind the opponent, showing our skills and insight to move the ball better. Our current goal is to go to Tokyo, where the final round will be held. We’d like to fix our issues to play with 120% of our ability and beat Machida tomorrow.

OONO Kazuki（Nagoya Oceans Satellite）
A victory in today’s match was essential in order to advance to the final round, as we lost our first game. We held a meeting last night and got ourselves ready with a stronger spirit. However, we conceded goals from set pieces and couldn’t play in our way. It is my third PUMA CUP since I joined this team. We haven’t got through to the final yet and we really focused on it this year. So I’m gutted. As we haven’t won a game, I’d like to concentrate on winning tomorrow right up to the last whistle.

INOUE Suguru（Voscuore Sendai Satellite）
Although we kept saying ‘we’re going to win our first game’, we suffered a major defeat yesterday. Having said that, we played how we wanted and we learned a lot. As I knew refreshing our mind was essential, we encouraged each other during the pregame warm-up, saying ‘let’s raise our spirits!’ I think we showed our desire to ‘win the remaining two games.’ Our goal is to get through the first round. We’ll never give up.

ITO Masanori, Head coach（Vasagey Oita）
One of the appealing points of the PUMA CUP is to be able to play against teams from the same area, Kyushu. As we hope to contribute to the development of futsal in Kyushu, we played without slacking despite the lower category. As a result, I think we played our style, not stifling the opponent’s character too much. We played two matches, scoring 20 goals and conceding one, which was a good result. Having said that, the vital thing is to get through to the next round. I hope tomorrow we play just like today.

JFA-TV

PUMA CUP 2015 The 20th All Japan Futsal Championship

Fri. 6 March 2015 - Sun. 15 March 2015
1st Round：Shizuoka／Ecopa Arena、Osaka／Maishima Arena、Hyogo／Kobe Central Gymnasium
Final Round：Tokyo／Japan Yoyogi first National Gymnasium

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