On Saturday 26 May, day one of JFA 18th O-60 Japan Football Tournament took place at Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture.

In the first round, 16 teams coming out from each region will play in a four-team round-robin group league. The tension rose high, as only the group leader will earn a spot into the second round.

In Group A, Hyogo Prefecture Senior 60 Select Team (Kansai/Hyogo) led the group, as they seek to reclaim the title they earned three years ago. By scoring a goal in each half, Hyogo bested Fukuoka Rokujyukara Football Club (Kyushu2/Fukuoka) 2-0. Fukushima Senior Select Team (Host/Fukushima) and Lazos Koga F.C. (Kanto3/Ibaraki) shared the points as they ended in a scoreless draw.

In Group B, Gunma FC 60 (Kanto2/Gunma) scored three goals in the second half to win the match after finishing the first half 0-0 against Hakodate Shijyukara 60 (Hokkaido/2). The match between Selecao Nagano 60 (Hokushinetsu1/Nagano) and Yokkaichi Football Club (Tokai1/Mie) finished 0-0.

Two teams earned three points in Group C, but it was Fujieda Football Club (Tokai2/Shizuoka) who came atop, leading their way in goal difference after scoring four goals against Ueda Ohboshi Soccer Club Senior (Hokushinetsu2/Nagano). Saitama Senior 60 (Kanto1/Saitama) who made a disappointing exit last year after recording two wins in their group league, won their match against the defending champions Miyagi Phoenix Soccer Club (Tohoku/Miyagi) in a close battle, 1-0.

There were two teams also won their first match in Group D, as Kumamoto Senior (Kyushu1/Kumamoto) won their match against Kagawa Senior 60 (Shikoku/Kagawa) 3-0, while Hiroshima Sixties (Chugoku/Hiroshima) bested Muroran Senior 60 Soccer Club (Hokkaido1) 2-0. This week’s winners will square off in their third match.

Day two will be on Sunday 27 May, as the second and third match of the first round will take place. Four teams will move onto the second round.

Players' Comments

DF MATSUNAGA Masatoshi (Hyogo Senior 60 Select)
We had issues communicating, but the players upfront help us defend, so it was easy to defend. We struggled in offence last year, but we added three young players, so our offence has gotten better. With our offence being rejuvenated, we are looking forward for the competition this year. We wanted to repeat our feat from three years ago, and we brought players with strong intentions. With this team, anyone can be on the pitch without lowering the overall team strength. I enjoy playing recreationally, but winning matches in a competitive field like this is also great.

MF SUZUKI Yasuo (Fukuoka Rokujyukara Football Club)
We played okay, but we made little mistakes when we had possession of the ball. This has been our problem over the years, so it means we still need to practice more. It was our third time facing the Hyogo Prefecture Senior in five years. We haven’t won against them, but our performance has gotten better over the years. It is disappointing to lose the opening match, but we will do our best to win the remaining two matches and earn a spot into the second round for the first time. This is the biggest tournament in our age category, and not only do I enjoy playing in it, it gives me an opportunity to reunite with old friends, so I am always looking forward for it.

MF AMANAI Kazuhiro (Muroran Senior 60 Soccer Club)
I felt a little heavy today. The tournament was held a little early this year, making it a little tougher for the teams from Hokkaido, because we cannot play during the winter. We have faced the Hiroshima side about three times counting from the O-50 age category. I know some of the players from years back. This tournament gives us a chance to meet new people and reunite with friends all over the country. It’s like a field trip for the seniors. We won the O-50 tournament and came in second place in this tournament three years ago, so we will do our best to win the title this year.

MF SOWA Tsukasa (Hiroshima Sixties)
It was nerve-wrecking to play the opening match. We looked unorganised in the second half, but that’s perhaps natural since our opponents came out attacking to score goals. The fact we managed to score a goal in the first half helped a lot. This year we would like to get passed the first round. In that sense, winning the first match was crucial for us. In order for us to enter this tournament we must win through the prefectural tournament. Hiroshima has a league consisting of teams from O-35 to 70, and the senior leagues are very active. This national tournament gives us great motivation and I enjoy these types of serious competitions.

JFA 18th O-60 Japan Football Tournament

Tournament Dates: Sat. 26 May - Mon. 28 May 2018
Tournament Venue: Soma Koyo Soccer Field / Soma City, Fukushima

Tournament Info