Pick-up Match

Kashiwa Reysol U-18 1-1 (1-1, 0-0) Aomori Yamada High School

On Sunday 6 May, the fifth Sec. of Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League EAST took place, as Kashiwa Reysol U-18 (Chiba) and Aomori Yamada High School (Aomori) faced each other.

Coach KURODA Go of Aomori Yamada told his players to “play with aggression in the first 15 minutes.” Just as they were told, the players showed great intensity to start the match, which led them to earn a penalty kick. Midfielder DANZAKI Riku (#10) calmly converted this spot kick to give his side the opening goal. Aomori Yamada went onto take control of the match as they applied dynamic pressure from their front line, giving limited space for the Kashiwa side to work with. Danzaki initiated attacks from the left flank, while forwards SASAKI Ginji (#9) and KOMATSU Keito (#13) anticipated to penetrate the space behind the Kashiwa defence line.

On the other hand, Reysol’s Coach YAMANAKA Shin later reflected on his player selection, “our attacking players were in good form, so I elected to go with a 4-4-2 formation.” Utilising four of their forwards in their line-ups, MORI Kaito (#9), SHODA Norihiro (#11), UNOKI Fumiya (#12), and HOSOYA Mao (#14) combined well with each other, evaded the pressure exerted by the Aomori side and creating attacks from their pass-works. Gradually retaking the initiative of the match, Kashiwa’s midfielder YAMASHITA Yudai (#7) initiated an attack from the left flank in the 40th minute. Midfielder ONODERA Takumi (#6) delivered a through ball towards Hosoya, who freed himself up to create a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, before slotting the equaliser into the net.

With the help of the tail wind on the pitch, and the momentum gained by leveling the match just before the end of the first half, Kashiwa took control of the match in the second half. Changing their pace of attacks as they took their time in their build-ups, while showcasing quick attacks down the line where Shoda and Unoki attacked the sides. Their ability to collect the second ball allowed them to continuously generate attacks. Mori was outstanding in creating attacks in this match, as he struck the woodwork in both 67th minute and 85th minute after showing brilliant individual efforts in the box.

Kashiwa had their final opportunity towards the end of the match from a set-play, but SUGII Hayate’s (#4) header was just off target, as the defender later reflected, “if I had scored there, we would have gotten three points out of this match. The fact I couldn’t convert that chance shows that I must put in more efforts in our training sessions.”

As Aomori Yamada’s defender Mikuni Kennedy Ebusu (#5) described,“we made too many mistakes and lacked communication. Our opponents took control of the match for a long period of time and we couldn’t find our rhythm,”the Aomori side struggled to play their game, but still managed to create few opportunities through their short-counter attacks and set-plays. One of their biggest opportunity came in the 63rd minute, when DF TOYOSHIMA Motoya (#3) struck a header off a corner kick, but his attempt skimmed off the left post.

Both teams created many chances but failed to convert. After the two powerhouses showcased a great battle in both offence and defence, the match ended in a 1-1 tie.

Coaches' and Players' Comments

YAMANAKA Shin, Coach (Kashiwa Reysol U-18)
In today’s match, I wanted to utilise those players that has been playing well, and our attacking players were in good form, so I elected to go with a 4-4-2 formation. We conceded early from a penalty kick, but we managed to score back during the first half and showed dominance in the second half. Although his shot struck the post, Mori Kaito showed a glimpse of his maturity when he carried the ball by himself and took the shot. Similar to the past three matches our players displayed a great performance and executed our game plan for the most part. But we have been missing out on points with a small margin, so we have to make the necessary adjustments and improve ourselves.

DF #4 SUGII Hayate (Kashiwa Reysol U-18)
I once again cost the team a goal. (On the scene where he gave up the PK) I must be able to force turnovers without fouling in those situations. That is something I must work on. But our team managed to equalize the match within the first half and create many chances in the second half. I had a chance to score the go-ahead goal from a set-play towards the end of the match, and if I had scored there, we would have gotten three points out of this match. The fact I couldn’t convert that chance shows that I must put in more efforts in our training sessions. I would like to become a player that can get results in those situations.

KURODA Go, Coach (Aomori Yamada High School)
We knew that scoring the opening goal will be critical in this match, so I told my players to play the first 15 minutes with aggression. Kashiwa is very good at keeping ball possession, so we planned to apply strong pressure from the front line. Luckily, we managed to score first and wanted to maintain that lead, but we couldn’t share a mutual intention in our defence and allowed the opponents to level the match from our flaws. We created chances from set-plays and short counters but couldn’t convert the opportunities. We have been facing the same issue for the pas three matches, but we must heighten our quality in the final third.

DF #5 Mikuni Kennedy Ebusu (Aomori Yamada High School)
Personally and as a team, we lacked mobility today. We made too many mistakes and lacked communication. Our opponents took control of the match for a long period of time and we couldn’t find our rhythm, which probably was the main reason we couldn’t win today. It was another match we could have won, if we could have converted the chances we were given. It feels like its been three straight matches like that. As for today’s match, if the defence line kept a clean sheet, we could have won. We need to be able to keep a clean sheet.

Results of other matches

Urawa Red Diamonds Youth 2-1 (2-0, 0-1) Toyama Daiichi High School
Ryutsukeizaidai Kashiwa High School 3-1 (2-1, 1-0) FC Tokyo U-18
Kashima Antlers Youth 1-0 (1-0, 0-0) Shimizu S-pulse Youth
Jubilo Iwata U-18 1-0 (0-0, 1-0) Ichiritsu Funabashi High School

Forwards OKAMURA Yuuki (#7) and HATA Shota (#17) scored a goal each to give Urawa a two-goal lead in the match between Urawa Red Diamonds Youth (Saitama) and Toyama Daiichi High School (Toyama). Toyama’s KOMORI Hiiro (#10) scored back a goal in the 80th minute, but the game ended with a final score of 2-1 in favour of Urawa. Ryutsukeizaidai Kashiwa High School (Chiba) bested FC Tokyo U-18 (Tokyo) 3-1 at home, after scoring two goals after the match was equalised at one apiece. League leaders Kashima Antlers Youth (Ibaraki) faced Shimizu S-pulse Youth (Shizuoka), where midfielder KONUMA Tatsuki (#8) scored the deciding goal to give the Antlers their fifth win in five matches. Jubilo Iwata U-18 (Shizuoka) grabbed their first win of the Premier League when their midfielder IWAMOTO Luna (#7) scored the only goal of the match in the 58th minute against Ichiritsu Funabashi High School (Chiba).

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

Tournament Information