The 2014 Prince Takamado Trophy Under-18 Premier League finally kicked off this past Sunday with some can't-miss games.

Pick Up Match

Higashiyama High School　1-0（1st1-0、2nd0-0）　Kyoto Tachibana High Schoo

A Higashiyama High School-Kyoto Tachibana High School game was played under an unexpectedly chilly weather for the time of a year, but ended up being a close, hot battle. Early on, the home side, Higashiyama, had hard time proceeding the ball to the front field, struggling with their opponents' physical checking, and instead allowed them to make side attacks defensively. But Higashiyama's defenders, around Tanemura Yukiya and Yoshii Satoru, managed to reject Kyoto Tachibana offense.

Then, Higashiyama eventually got the rhythm from their defense. On 31st minute, Higashiyama triggered a pass mistake on Kyoto Tachibana, thanks to a sharp checking by Kuroki Shunji. And then Kamata Daichi, who robbed the ball and dribbled it forward, netted the game's first goal.

With the lead, Higashiyama now became defense-oriented but still tried to add another goal from counter attacks in the latter half. They would allow Kyoto Tachibana to keep relaying the ball but stop it at the defensive line and send it to the front line. Higashiyama had a few more chances to score as Fukushige Hideki and Kamata hit the goal post on their shots.

Meanwhile, Kyoto Tachibana sent Heuser Ken late in the game and had some chances to score on power plays. But they failed to equal the game as Higashiyama's goalkeeper rejected their shots.

After all, in the game between two newcomers in the Premier League, Higashiyama wound up ending it with three points as the winners.

Comments from coaches and players

Fukushige Ryoichi, coach (Higashiyama High)
We were receiving a lot of spotlights and I thought that our players would be nervous. As I expected, we were strained early on and allowed the opponents to have the momentum. But after 10 minutes, we eventually got to play our style of ball and have some shots. It wasn't necessarily the way we wanted to play, but I'm relieved that we were able to take the all-Kyoto Prefecture game in our first Premier League game. This is the result of our players having competitiveness in their hearts and I'm frankly very pleased to have earned the three points, which is the best outcome we wanted.

Kamata Daichi (Higashiyama High)
I made the goal by accident. Coach Fukushige always tells me, ''if you take shots, something could happen.'' And I thought that it paid off for me to make that shot in that moment. But we still had some moments that we became too passive against the opponents and we are not satisfied with the way we played at all. It was obviously a different atmosphere from other games and we were all nervous early on for sure. I, as the captain, should have correct the situation by talking to other guys, but I couldn't do so and that's something I've definitely got to work on. I'd like to improve on that from the next time on.

Kamata Daichi (Higashiyama High)
I made the goal by accident. Coach Fukushige always tells me, ''if you take shots, something could happen.'' And I thought that it paid off for me to make that shot in that moment. But we still had some moments that we became too passive against the opponents and we are not satisfied with the way we played at all. It was obviously a different atmosphere from other games and we were all nervous early on for sure. I, as the captain, should have correct the situation by talking to other guys, but I couldn't do so and that's something I've definitely got to work on. I'd like to improve on that from the next time on.

Kuramoto Kotaro (Kyoto Tachibana)
We played on a good rhythm early on, but got too excited afterwards. We should have been calmer as the team. On the goal that we gave up, that shot deflected a little by hitting my shoulder and went in. Until then, we were defending Kamata well, so it's disappointing and I feel like I should have pressed him even harder. But our goalkeeper Yatagai Soki defended our goal very well, and other first-year players were dependable, too. Although we took the loss, it was a game that we could take advantage of for our games ahead.

Nagoya Grampus U-18　3-1（1st2-0、2nd1-1）　Toyama Daiichi High School
Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C. Youth　3-1（1st0-1、2nd3-0）　Kyoto Sanga F.C. U-18
Higashi Fukuoka High School　0-1（1st0-0、2nd0-1）　Cerezo Osaka U-18
Gamba Osaka Youth　0-3（1st0-2、2nd0-1）　Vissel Kobe U-18

Elsewhere, Nagoya Grampus U-18 (Aichi) cruised past Toyama Daiichi High School (Toyama) 3-1, thanks to two goals from Sakurai Subaru. Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C. Youth (Hiroshima), the reigning champions of the last two seasons, netted three goals in the second half and capped a come-from-behind win over Kyoto Sanga F.C. U-18 (Kyoto).

Cerezo Osaka U-18 (Osaka) held a close gam against Higashi Fukuoka High School (Fukuoka), the only Kyushu representatives, but ended with a 1-0 victory on a lone goal from Sakamoto Masaki. In a contest between Gamba Osaka Youth (Osaka) and Vissel Kobe U-18 (Hyogo), which was played after a Gamba Osaka-Kashima Antlers J. League Division One match, Kobe, the defending West league champs, sank Gamba Youth 3-0 with goals from Nakasaka Yuya, Yonezawa Rei and Nagasawa Ryusuke.