The second day of the 27th Prince Takamado Trophy All Japan Youth (U-15) Football Tournament was held on Sunday 20 December in Ibaraki, and the quarterfinalists have been decided. 

Pick-up Match 1

Cerezo Osaka U-15   7-0 (3-0, 4-0)   Oita Trinita U-15

The first match at the Hitachinaka Sogo Sports Park Sport Field A was between Cerezo Osaka U-15 (Kansai 2) and Oita Trinita U-15 (Kyushu 2).

Cerezo Osaka, who have a number of the U-15 Japan National Team short-listed squad’s players, such as KIDA Hinata and SUZUKI Toichi, took the initiative from the beginning. The team stayed ambitious for goals, using long and short-distance passes. In the seventh minute, KOMATSU Kaiki, who reacted to a pass from TANIMOTO Syunsuke, faced the goalkeeper 1-on-1 to strike the opener. After that they really picked up the pace. After 15 minutes, Suzuki received the ball from the centre back SEKO Ayumu, getting through the opponent’s goalkeeper to fire off a shot, building a two-goal lead.

Although Oita were two goals behind early on in the game, TAHARA Ryunosuke led the team in looking for goals with long-distance shots, and aggressive attacking. However, Cerezo Osaka scored another goal before halftime, and the match went into the second half at 3-0.

Cerezo Osaka continued to attack in the second half. The team used the pitch widely to distract Oita’s defenders, adding more insurance. They scored four more goals, including from Suzuki and Komatsu. By the 55th minute, the team had struck seven goals in total.

Oita, on the other hand, tried to attack back under the leadership of the captain IWASAKI Ryuji. However, Cerezo Osaka displayed their solid defence in the remaining 55 minutes, and kept a clean sheet until the final whistle. They won the game 7-0, becoming quarterfinalists in the best way possible.

Match details (Japanese version only)

Pick-up Match 2

SSS Junior Youth   1-3 (1-2, 0-1)   Vissel Kobe U-15

The second match at the Hitachinaka Sogo Sports Park Sport Field A was between SSS Junior Youth (Hokkaido 2) and Vissel Kobe U-15 (Kansai 5).

SSS played with energy from the beginning of the game, pressuring the opponent up front to create opportunities to counter-attack. IKETAKA Nobuki, who played for the U-15 Japan National Team short-listed squad, led the team towards Kobe’s area to look for goals. FUNAKOSHI Hiromu of Kobe calmed the team in midfield and initiated an attack in the 11th minute, passing the ball to MAENO Keigo. KIMURA Yudai, who reacted to the last pass from Maeno, fired a shot with his left foot, and struck the opener. 

SSS never become demoralised, staying ambitious for aggressive attacks. After 14 minutes, Iketaka received a pass from YAMADA Ryosuke to get through the left wing, assisting YAMAMOTO Yuya’s equaliser. The score did not stay the same for a long. In the 23rd minute, TSURUMI Shota headed home from a corner kick, building a one-goal lead once against for Kobe.

Kobe kept possession and took the initiative in the second half, while SSS showed some tiredness from playing consecutive games, just like Iketaka mentioned. After 47 minutes, MOCHIZUKI Sora, who came off the bench, played harmoniously with Funakoshi, both of whom have known “each other’s playing style since elementary school”. They got through the opponent’s defenders, scoring the team’s third goal.

Although SSS never gave up, substituting players to attack more, KOYANAGI Naoya’s shot hit the post and they could not find the back of the net. Kobe sustained their two-goal lead and reached the quarterfinals.

Match details (Japanese version only)

Coach and Players' Comments

OHATA Kai, Coach (Cerezo Osaka U-15)
I’m pleased we kept a clean sheet, which will be a good influence on the next game. I believe we’re getting used to the championship through all the attacks. In the second half, the players defended well with their bodies under the opponent’s pressure. After building up our lead, I could let the second graders experience an official match, which was very productive. Really good players should perform truly well despite their tiredness. I hope they will become tougher mentally and physically for the next level.

SEKO Ayumu (Cerezo Osaka U-15)
As our attack played their roles well, scoring goals, we defenders were determined to keep a clean sheet. Personally, as a centre back, I aim to stay ambitious for goals, not to mention passing the ball around the defensive line. So I’m glad I could assist two scores today. I could show what I’ve been practicing by sending accurate passes with both my feet. I’ll play even harder in the coming games, thinking of other teams, who had to go home. I’ll aim to win the championship for the players who couldn’t make it here.

IKETAKA Nobuki (SSS Junior Youth)
We unfortunately displayed our weakness – we can’t win games when we’re tired. We could defend from up front in yesterday’s match, but we couldn’t do the same today. Having said that, we have built up a good atmosphere for the team by preparing ourselves for this championship. Also I believe playing with my teammates gave me such a good experience for the future. In high school, I’d like to improve my strengths, such as dribbling, and become the kind of player, who can lead the team to a victory mentally as well as through his performances.

FUNAKOSHI Hiromu (Vissel Kobe U-15)
I felt a little panicked with the opponent’s swift pressure at the beginning of the game. Striking a goal with our first opportunity as well as scoring the equaliser just after we lost our lead meant a lot to us. Our strength is to pass the ball around. Even with some mistakes, we soldiered on playing our style and struck a goal, which was good. Personally, I focused on changing our rhythm in attack through lateral passes, when the team moved forward too hastily. I’d like to play with a stronger spirit, so that I can play with my teammates as long as possible.

Other Matches (Japanese version only)

JFA-TV (Japanese version only)

Prince Takamado Trophy All Japan Youth (U-15) Football Tournament

2015-12-19 (Sat.) - 12-28 (Mon.)
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