The 101st All Japan High School Soccer Tournament final took place at Japan National Stadium on Monday 9 January.

Final

Okayama Gakugeikan High School 3-1 (1-1, 2-0) Higashiyama High School

50,868 spectators watched the match between two teams vying for their first title in the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament, and it was clear that many players were nervous early on as they struggled to settle with the ball. Higashiyama gradually took control of play as the game went on thanks to their quick passing. MATSUHASHI Keita played a vertical pass from midfield in the 16th minute. After receiving the ball, KITAMURA Keijiro delivered a sharp cross toward the goal, but was unable to connect with his teammate.

“The game went according to plan. Our style of football is to break down the opposition by possessing the ball, which is what we did well,” said SHINTANI Rikuto, as Higashiyama seemingly got off to a good start, but they ended up conceding the opening goal to Okayama Gakugeikan in the 25th minute, when the pass delivered by IMAI Takuto took a deflection off a defender and into the net.

Despite conceding the lead, Higashiyama continued to build their attacks by collecting the ball to Matsuhashi and their persistent effort came to fruition in the 44th minute when SANADA Renji converted the pass delivered by Kitamura to equalise the match, as midfielder later reflected, “I didn't want the game to end in disappointment. I was determined to score a goal for our defenders because we gave up an unfortunate goal as a result of their hard work.”

During halftime, Okayama Gakugeikan’s coach TAKAHARA Yoshiaki told his players, “We were not changing our pace in the first half, which allowed our opponents to possess the ball. Let’s try to use the width of the field to possess the ball longer.” Okayama Gakugeikan began to create opportunities from the flank in response to their coach's instructions, which resulted in the 52nd-minute goal that gave them the lead. The play began when the ball was passed through YAMADA Aoi and TAGUCHI Yuma, before NAKAO Takashi made an overlapping run to penetrate the left side and deliver a cross that setup the towering header of KIMURA Kyogo.

The tide turned back in favour of Higashiyama following this goal. In the 59th minute, Sanada connected with a cross from SAKATA Reiya, but his shot went over the crossbar. The two players teamed up once more to create a chance in the 74th minute, this time Sanada provided the cross to setup the header of Sakata, but his attempt was denied by the woodwork. Higashiyama continued to create chances but couldn’t find ways to level the score against the tenacious defence displayed by their opponents, as Okayama Gakugeikan’s INOUE Tsukasa later reflected, “Even when we were beaten or made mistakes, we always covered for each other. We tried to defend like flies swarming around the ball.”

After surviving through numerous chances created by Higashiyama, Okayama Gakugeikan capitalised on a cross sent by FUKUI Shin in the 85th minute, with Kimura striking a well-timed volley to seal the match. With the final whistle, Okayama Gakugeikan won the match 3-1 to become the first team from Okayama to win the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.

Coaches and Players' Comments

TAKAHARA Yoshiaki, Coach (Okayama Gakugeikan High School)
The players worked so hard that I was moved to tears when I heard the final whistle. I want to express my gratitude to the players for getting us this far. We couldn’t even imagine being on the stage of the Japan National Stadium when I first arrived at Okayama Gakugeikan. Even though we kept losing in the semi-finals of the prefectural qualifier, we have always tried to give our best in every game, each year. Our steady and hard work has accumulated and led us to this result. I hope we have been able to repay a little to the many alumni who have shed tears over the years.

INOUE Tsukasa (Okayama Gakugeikan High School)
Making history for my home prefecture makes me very happy and proud. We received a lot of power from those who came to watch us at the stadium, who attended the public viewing, and sent us a lot of support. Without their support, I don't think we would have made it this far. It would be a real pleasure if we were able to convey energy and inspiration through our games. I hope that Okayama will become a stronger football prefecture in the future.

FUKUSHIGE Ryoichi, Coach (Higashiyama High School)
This match served as a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do, but the players showed great improvements through the competition. As the coach, I am responsible for this loss. The players fought with all their might in each and every match, aiming to become the national champions. Although we were beaten today, we tried our best to give it our all. I would like to congratulate the players for their efforts.

SHINTANI Rikuto (Higashiyama High School)
We wouldn’t have made it this far without the support of everyone, including those who cheered us from the stands. They cheered for us until the very end, and I wish we could have made them the best cheering group in Japan. However, Higashiyama High School had never been able to reach the final of the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament, so I am proud that we were able to make history. We will return to Kyoto with our heads held high.

The 101st All Japan High School Soccer Tournament

Tournament Dates: Wed. 28 December 2022 - Mon. 9 January 2023

Tournament Information