Pick-up Match

Shimizu S-pulse Youth 3-0 (1-0, 2-0) Jubilo Iwata U-18

The fourth Sec. of Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League EAST took place on Sunday 29 April as Shimizu S-pulse Youth (Shizuoka) faced their prefectural rival Jubilo Iwata U-18 (Shizuoka).

As Shimizu’s Coach HIRAOKA Hiroaki described, "players from both sides share a strong sense of rivalry," the two teams who has played against each other numerous times throughout their youth career, faced each other at the pinnacle of youth development league. It was the first time these two teams squared off at this level. The match was held at IAI Stadium Nihondaira, which is the home stadium for the top team in the J. League, creating a distinctive tension and atmosphere.

Coach Hiraoka later mentioned, "we struggled to feed the ball to our front line, making the game stagnant. We couldn’t create much chances to take shots." The match saw each team taking a passive approach, but it was Iwata who controlled the match early on. Led by defender HIRAMATSU Wataru (#4), Iwata displayed solid defence, which allowed them to take the initiative of the match midway into the first half. Iwata’s Coach SETO Taiji described his approach, "it’ll be awfully difficult for us if we concede first. We were able to showcase what we’ve been working on in the past week."

With both teams unable to take shots, the match progressed into a deadlock, but the game-changing play came in the 36th minute, when Shimizu forward YAMAZAKI Ryosuke (#19) fired a shot after receiving a cross from the left side. The shot was deflected in the box, and an Iwata defender was penalised for a handball, giving Shimizu a penalty kick. Shimizu’s Captain SAITO Sena (#10) calmly converted the spot kick to give his side the opening goal.

With this goal, Iwata were forced to discard their initial game plan. "We wanted to play a collective and compact defence utilising three lines, but we were forced into a situation where we had to chase the ball up front, and that made it tough for us," said Iwata boss Seto. The decisive goal came in the 49th minute, when Shimizu’s midfielder KURITA Shion (#3) fired a left-footed shot from mid-range, later saying "I was like, just shoot it and see what happens!" Yamazaki, who tallied a hat-trick in the previous match to earn his spot into the starting line-ups for this important match, reacted swiftly to head in the rebound, putting his name on the score-sheets for the second match in a row.

Kurita drove another shot from a similar range in the 57th minute, this time with his dominant right foot. With the help from the tail wind, the shot had a projectile that surprised coach Hiraoka before beautifully finding the back of the net. With a smile, Kurita answered, "It felt great." His brilliant goal determined the course of the match.

Shimizu held off Iwata's rallying effort and came out atop of the derby match with a 3-0 clean-sheet victory. After starting the season with two consecutive losses, Shimizu successively leveled their record back to even with back-to-back wins. The team’s atmosphere turned gloomy during the losing stint, but Shimizu successfully turned their season around. "The third graders played a key role in getting the team fired up from our practice sessions," said Kurita. And shared his aspiration to rally back, "we can still aim for the title."

On the other hand, Iwata suffered its fourth straight loss. Still held off scoreless, Iwata’s problem seemed to be laying on their offence. Coach Seto said, "we haven’t been able to take much shots, so we must improve on our mindset first." To capitalise on this bitter derby loss, they will now have to feed off this match to overcome their issues and rally back.

Shimizu are scheduled to face league leaders Kashima Antlers Youth (Ibaraki) on the road in the next fixture, while Iwata will host Ichiritsu Funabashi High School (Chiba) at home.

Coaches' and Players' Comments

HIRAOKA Hiroaki, Coach (Shimizu S-Pulse Youth)
We struggled to take shots until that point, but Yamazaki took the shot with no hesitation, and I think that helped the situation in a good way. That goal was huge for us. Our second goal also came after we took a shot with no hesitation. Shibata (who was involved in two goals) played good defence as well. He can get streaky at times, so I hope he finds his rhythm with that goal.

DF #3 KURITA Shion (Shimizu S-Pulse Youth)
I can’t recall myself ever scoring a goal like that. I struck the ball with a full swing. It was my first goal at the Premier League, so I'm happy. I was pumped up not only because it was a derby match, but the fact we were playing at IAI Stadium Nihondaira helped me get fired up too. I entered the match with the intention to play good defence, and I think I did alright in that regards. We have won just two matches, and we have long ways to go to win the title.

SETO Taiji, Coach (Jubilo Iwata U-18)
We were unlucky to concede that goal, but luck is part of game. It seems like we have been conceding unlucky goals in all of our matches, but the fact we are conceding must mean that we are lacking something. It could be said for this game as well. Our game plan fell apart after the first goal we conceded today. We really need to take more shots (just one shot taken in today’s match). We seem to wait for the perfect timing to take a shot, so I must encourage my team to take shots more often.

DF #4 HIRAMATSU Wataru (Jubilo Iwata U-18)
We lost our rhythm after we conceded the first goal. Conceding three goals in this crucial derby match shows that we have issues in the back. It was a disappointing match for sure. (After playing four matches) I’m feeling the difference between the Premier League and the Price League Toaki (where Iwata played last season). Every team are physically stronger, and the speed of pressure and support is much faster in this league. I will work closely with HAYAMI Shuhei to showcase better defence in our next match.

Results of other matches

FC Tokyo U-18 0-1 (0-0, 0-1) Kashima Antlers Youth
Ichiritsu Funabashi High School 2-1 (1-0, 1-1) Kashiwa Reysol U-18
Urawa Red Diamonds Youth 0-0 (0-0, 0-0) Aomori Yamada High School
Toyama Daiichi High School 0-2 (0-0, 0-2) Ryutsukeizaidai Kashiwa High School

The undefeated Kashima Antlers Youth (Ibaraki) held on to their 62nd minute goal from forward ARIMA Kotaro (#9) to win against FC Tokyo U-18 (Tokyo). The contest between the two Chiba powerhouses saw Ichiritsu Funabashi High School (Chiba) open the scoring, followed by Kashiwa Reysol U-18’s (Chiba) equaliser, but the Funabashi side earned three points after forward NISHIDO Hisatoshi (#12) scored the decisive goal in the 67th minute. Urawa Red Diamonds Youth (Saitama) and Aomori Yamada High School (Aomori) shared a point apiece in a scoreless draw. Toyama Daiichi High School (Toyama) welcomed Ryutsukeizaidai Kashiwa High School (Chiba), but their first win of the season was put off after giving up two goals in the second half to the Kashiwa side.

Tournament Period：Sat. 7 April 2018 ～ Sun. 9 December 2018

Tournament Information