Pick Up Match

Higashiyama High School   1-2 (1st 1-0, 2nd 0-2)   Nagoya Grampus U18

As having lost three matches in a row, Higashiyama High School (Kyoto) and Nagoya Grampus U18 (Aichi) played against each other in the heated contest that continued to the end, where both sides were keen to end the losing streak.

Home team Higashiyama took the initiative early on. After getting the ball at a high position with intense pressing, the Kyoto’s high school created chances as Kamata Daichi and others often threatened Nagoya’s goal. On the other hand, Nagoya tried to hit on the counter-attack but could not finish off their attacks. The deadlock was broken in the added time of the first half. After Kamata closed in on goal in combination with Moriya Ryo, who have known each other since their Gamba Osaka Junior Youth days together, the opposing goalkeeper brought him down to give up a penalty kick. Kamata netted his earned penalty kick with composure to give his side one goal down in the end of the first half.

After the match entered the second half, Nagoya, striving for a comeback, attacked spaces behind opposing side backs. After 66th and 68th minutes, Nagoya’s boss sent in multiple fast-footed players up front. When they began to catch their rhythm, Kajiyama Kanta’s blast found the back of the net to level the score in the 73rd minute. The revived Nagoya with the equaliser did not miss the opposing defensive pressure loosened. Sakurai Subaru rushed to drive a loose ball into the net after reacting to the pass from the left side. He ran to the supporters, who had kept giving a boost during the losing spell, and celebrated the goal together. Nagoya was tenacious to the end to halt opposition’s attacks, which gave them a long-awaited victory.

Comments

FUKUSHIGE Ryoichi, Head Coach (Higashiyama High School)
We played well in the first half, so I told my players to keep their concentration and to attempt more attacks. We wanted to keep them from scoring but couldn’t stop the strong opponents in the end. Even so, players worked hard and kept their concentration during 90 minutes. We lost today, but I don’t get pessimistic because our team condition is upward.

KAMATA Daichi (Higashiyama High School)
We played not too bad. Our defensive end did a great job, but offensive end including me missed great goal-scoring opportunities. I’m very disappointed that we lost the match where we could’ve won. When I scored the opening goal, that was a situation where we could create a chance just as we practiced, and I tried to be intense to take the penalty kick. I will work out to improve myself to be capable of keeping running during 90 minutes.

TAKATA Tetsuya, Head Coach (Nagoya Grampus U18)
We supposed the opponents put more stress on defence, but they tried to get the ball up front, which confused us. If we could’ve gained a goal on the counter-attack, the match would have gone easier. But we couldn’t finish off our attacks and conversely we allowed them to attack the gap to open the score when we became careless about defence. In the second half, after every player worked hard, we started to play how we intended to, and that eventually brought us the win.

SAKURAI Subaru (Nagoya Grampus U18)
We gave up an opening goal, and the mood went bad as we thought we were going to dwell on the bad momentum (of the losing streak). But we worked together and could equalise the match in the second half. That gave us a big relief. If I scored, I’d been determined to go to our supporters, who kept backing us all the way even when we kept losing. With this victory, I want to work hard to add up more points.

Result of Other Matches

Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C Youth   5-0 (1st 1-0, 2nd 4-0)   Toyama Daiichi High School
Kyoto Tachibana High School   0-1 (1st 0-0, 2nd 0-1)   Cerezo Osaka U-18
Higashi Fukuoka High School   1-2 (1st 0-2, 2nd 1-0)   Vissel Kobe U-18
Gamba Osaka Youth   2-1 (1st 2-0, 2nd 0-1)   Kyoto Sanga F.C.

With goals from five different players, Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C Youth (Hiroshima) routed Toyama Daiichi High School 5-0 to climb up to the 5th place. Cerezo Osaka U-18 (Osaka) held their slim lead with Nishimoto Masataka’s goal to defeat Kyoto Tachibana High School (Kyoto) and retained the second place in the table. After Higashi Fukuoka High School (Fukuoka) conceded two goals to Vissel Kobe’s No.10 Yonezawa Rei, they reduced the deficit in the second half but just fell short. Gamba Osaka (Osaka) met Kyoto Sanga F.C. U-18 (Kyoto), who had not lost in the recent eight matches. Gamba took the lead with two goals from Iwamoto Kazuki and Takagi Akito in the first half and denied the opposition to come back with only one goal, which gave them a fourth straight win to protect the top spot.