Pick-up Match

JFA Academy Fukushima  5-1 (2-0, 3-1)  FC VICTORIES

The 20th All Japan Youth (U-15) Women’s Championship finished the second day of the July 26.

In the match between JFA Academy Fukushima (Tokai 1/Shizuoka) and FC VICTORIES (Kansai 1/Hyogo), JFA Academy kept pushing throughout the match. FC VICTORIES’s KITAGAWA Karen reflected afterwards saying “we were supposed to do our best even though we knew they would be stronger, but we couldn’t maintain high motivation during the match.”

On the 4th minute, JFA Academy’s ENDO Jun forced an own goal, which was the opening goal, and on the 15th minute, Endo broke through in front of the goal with dribbling and struck a shot which went successfully into the back of the net.

FC VICTORIES’s Coach HASEGAWA Kei encouraged the players saying “You can get 2 goals back,” but JFA Academy’s ITO Megumi got the 3rd goal on the 32nd. However, FC VICTORIES took their strengths and attacked the opponent’s goal; on the 33rd minute, they got a right hand corner-kick and made a strong heading shot but it didn’t find the net.

On the 44th minute, ANDO Ayaka struck a middle shot and FC VICTORIES got its awaited first goal. JFA Academy recovered their motivation again and started intensive attacking which made 2 more goals by Endo and Ito. The match ended 5-1. JFA Academy Fukushima is moving on to the semi-final. 

Coach and Players' Comments

MISHIO Shota, Coach (JFA Academy Fukushima)
I could see that the players were nervous before the match; they didn’t look relaxed at all in the warming-up time today. Considering that, it was good that they could score well and they kept pushing the opponents even after getting the first 2 goals.

This year, I lead them to be able to change the rhythm of the match by themselves. Today, they encouraged each other even after the first 2 goals and that is one of the things that I have taught them. They had to lose a goal in the 2nd half and that made them talk to each other on the pitch to build themselves up again. That helped them to get the 2 additional goals before the end of the game. 

ENDO Jun (JFA Academy Fukushima)
I have had bitter memories for two years; two years ago, we couldn’t win in the semi-final, and last year we had to leave the championship in the 2nd match. Since we were too eager to win, all of us were too nervous especially in the beginning of the match today.

As a captain of the team, I thought I had to be stronger rather than just being nervous and I just raised my motivation telling myself “We will do it!” that made us win eventually. We have been stronger in techniques and in communication ever than before, so we really want to win this year. 

HASEGAWA Kei, Coach (FC VICTORIES)
What was important was the stronger will, rather than tactics for this quarter final match. I tried to raise the players’ motivation before the match telling them “it is such a fortunate experience to play here”, but we lost two goals in the 1st half. I was still hoping to equalise after we got our goal but then we lost another three goals.

However, this experience will be a good lesson. The players are only U-15 so I expect them to review what was the difference with JFA Academy Fukushima and to grow up to be good players in U-18 teams. 

KITAGAWA Karen (FC VICTORIES）
We had kept working hard to play as much as we could, but the result was even more bitter than I expected; I couldn’t score even though I am a forward player. It was good that we could take 1 goal back from them anyway. If I look back all the experiences in this team, I can’t remember any happy things! I was often yelled “you, terrible player!” but I still believe that everything was for playing in this opportunity. I appreciate that we could play in this championship, it was such a fantastic experience.

Other Matches

AS Elfen Saitama Mari (Kanto 1/Saitama)  1-0 (1-0, 0-0)  Tokai University Shizuoka Shoyo Junior High School Girls' Football Club (Tokai 4/Shizuoka)
FC Belta (Kanto 10/Tokyo)  0-2 (0-0, 0-2)  Jumonji Junior High School (Kanto 4/Tokyo) 
Kamimura Gakuen Junior High School Women's Football Club (Kyushu 3/Kagoshima)  4-1 (3-1, 1-0)  Fujieda Junshin SC Junior Youth Blue (Tokai 3/Shizuoka)
Cerezo Osaka Sakai Girls (Kansai 2/Osaka)  4-0 (2-0, 2-0)  FC.Fervor.MIMOSA (Tokai 5/Aichi)
Omiya FC Angels 05 (Kanto 7/Saitama)  0-0 (0-0, 0-0, PSO 4-3)  Urawa Reds Ladies Junior Youth (Kanto 5/Saitama) 　
Albirex Niigata Ladies U-15 (Hokushinetsu2/Nigata)  4-0 (1-0, 3-0)  Oita Trinita Ladies (Kyushu 1/Oita)
Kusu Club Ladies (Tokai 2/Mie)  2-2 (1-1, 1-1, PSO 2-4)  Sfida Setagaya FC Youth (Kanto 2/Tokyo)

For the quarter-finals

The quarterfinal matches will be held on 28 July, the 3rd day of the championship. In the first match, AS Elfen Saitama Mari who has got through two difficult matches previously, will play against JFA Academy Fukushima. JFA Academy’s Endo is expected to be a key player of the team says, “We will actively attack and that can push ourselves”. For AS Elfen, how they can stop JFA Academy’s offense that have got nine goals in two previous matches will be the critical point to win. 

Another match between junior high school teams Jumonji Junior High School and Kamimura Gakuen should be checked out, too. Kamimura Gakuen has a new coach MIYASAKO Fumika, who is alumna of this school. “There are lot of better teams than us, but we don’t mentally lose”, she describes. As she says “the players thinking only about winning the championship”, they keep working hard to get their 4th victory.

Cerezo Osaka Sakai Girls’s coach OKAMOTO Mitsuyo describes her team that “the player of this year are more skillful in basics to stop and start moving the ball than the past and they also are capable of scoring”, indeed, their ability to offense is the team’s strength. Omiya FC Angels is based on its consistent defense and they have come to the quarter semi final by beating two consecutive penalty shootouts. The match between the very different teams will definitely be exciting.

Albirex Niigata Ladies U-15 could not go through to the final last year and now they are facing Sfida Setagaya FC Youth. Alvirex has been in a good mood getting four goals in their second match against Oita Trinita Ladies. Sfida on the other hand have gone through the challenging matches such as beating their opponent in the penalty shoot out. They aim to make the game very intensive and get the victory in the end. 

JFA-TV (Japanese version only)

The 20th All Japan Youth (U-15) Women's Championship

Sat. 25 july - Fri. 31 July 2015
J-GREEN Sakai (Osaka)
More information