As the long season hit the midpoint and enters the latter half of it, the Prince Takamado Trophy Under-18 Premier League West will have its ninth-week matches on 19th and 20th July.

Nagoya Grampus Under-18 (Aichi) host Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC Youth (Hiroshima). ''Most of our players are optimistic guys and can refresh their minds even after loss,'' said Subaru Sakurai of Nagoya, who took their first loss of the season in the previous week. Sakurai said that his team gets stronger when a match is on the line and can work hard, and they look to keep their top spot in the standings with those strengths. Hiroshima will have too miss three of their core members, for the Japan national under-17 team who will play in the 18th international youth football tournament in Niigata that begins on 19 July, hope other players to step up for these three players.

A nine-place Higashiyama High School (Kyoto) will square off with Cerezo Osaka Under-18 (Osaka). Higashiyama have not earned points after Week 6, yet head coach Fukushige Yoshikazu showed confidence by saying, ''the contents of our plays aren't that bad.'' The critical point for them will be in their defence, which have given up so many goals in their last three contests. It will certainly a point in the match how much their defence can stop Cerezo's attacking corps, who have fiercely scored goals every game.

Toyama Daiichi High School (Toyama) will take on Gamba Osaka Youth (Osaka). Toyama Daiichi had struggled early in the season but finally capped their first victory against Kyoto Tachibana High School (Kyoto) in the last week. They look to post a second-straight win taking advantage of their solid defence and counter attacks. Meanwhile, Gamba looks to extend their winning streak. ''I would like to show what I've learned in the last two years. In order to do that, we want to keep winning and go up in the standings,'' Gamba's Maetani Takahiro said. The motivated Gamba squad will play to earn another three points this week, too.

For the Kyoto Tachibana High and Vissel Kobe Under-18 (Hyogo) match, it will be interesting to see how it is played by those two teams that have opposite styles of football. Kyoto Tachibana have yet to win a game this year, but their counter attacks following their tenacious defence are something worth regarding, and it will be a key for the team to not get rattled and keep their focus until the end. Kobe have been away from posting wins since they started losing their players for injuries, but those missed players have gradually come back and their signature passing game has returned. They hope to enter the break period by earning three points.

Match to watch in Week 9
Higashi Fukuoka High School vs. Kyoto Sanga FC Under-18

Two teams who have exhibited explosive offence and are on the rise since Week 6 will square off. Higashi Fukuoka High (Fukuoka), who are currently in fifth place, usually initiate their attacks from the side around their captain Nakashima Kensei and finish their scoring corps that include Kito Shunsuke and that's their strength. They have scored a league's second-best 20 goals, so if they improve on their defensive side of ball, they should develop into a more complete team. ''This year's team aren't so technical, but have full of pep on the sides,'' Higashi Fukuoka head coach Shiwa Yoshinori said on his squad.
Kyoto Sanga FC Under-18 (Kyoto) have put up 10 goals this past three contests and attract audience with their offensive game. Their speedy attacks, led by Okugawa Masaya and Onishi Yuki, aren't easy to stop once they get on a roll. Yet they have a tendency to allow a goal after they score a goal. Their coach Kawakatsu Hiroyasu insisted that it would be important for his squad to firmly finish a match. With the two offensive-oriented squads, it will be intriguing how the match will be played out.

■Higashi Fukuoka High School vs. Kyoto Sanga FC Under-18
Date: 5 p.m. kickoff, 19th July (Saturday)
Venue: Higashi Fukuoka High School ground
Access: five minutes from Higashi Hie station on subway Kuko Line; 15 minutes from JR Hakata station