The Prince Takamado Trophy Under-18 Premier League will enter the first week of ht e2015 season on 11 and 12 April.

For the opening match that's played in a central format, JFA Academy Fukushima (Fukushima) and Shimizu S-Pulse Youth (Shizuoka) will square off at the west stadium of Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo. Both teams have made huge member as goalkeeper Nitadori Kota (Fagiano Okayama) had left the team from Academy Fukushima while some of their core players from last year for Shimizu in Kitagawa Koya and Mizutani Takuma had also departed the team. It will be a key for both teams how much their new faces will be able to come through and players like Taniguchi Shoto (Academy Fukushima) and Mochizuki Riku, both of whom earned play minutes last year in the league, will be able to convey their experiences to their respective teams.

In the first game of the 12th, Funabashi Municipal High School (Chiba) and Consadole Sapporo Under-18 (Hokkaido) will face against each other. Funabashi's strength is their speedy attacks around Koya Seishiro and Nagato Ayumu, while they are also trying to improve their defense as goalkeeper Terao Ryo, who replaced Shimura Ko (Jubilo Iwata). Consadole, meanwhile, have smooth passing works in the mid-field as their weapon. They have Suga Daiki, a national Under-17 team candidate, up front. Suga aims at accumulating goals with his powerful left shots.

A match between Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School (Chiba) and Aomori Yamada High School (Aomori) is another can't-miss one. Like last year, Ryutsu Keizai will try to win it based on their own football that relies on their sufficient actions. Aomori Yamada have been on a roll as they advanced to the final in last month's Sanix Cup international youth football championship in Fukuoka. They have some notable players such as Kamiya Yuta、who transferred from Tokyo Verdy Youth, and Hirosue Riku, who has protected the team'S goal mouth since his first year. The two sides faced against each other in the season opener last year as well and are expected to have a hard-fought contest again.

At Amino Vital Field, FC Tokyo Under-18 (Tokyo0) will take on Kashima Antlers Youth (Ibaraki). FC Tokyo head coach Sato Kazuki served as a coach for Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC Youth for three years under Moriyama Yoshiro (current Japan national Under-15 team head coach). Capitalizing on the experience, he has build FC Tokyo to be an aggressive team both offensively and defensively. While Kashima have players who played last year like Machida Koki and Shikama Yuki, it will be interesting to see how FC Tokyo will perform.

［Pick Up Match］
Kashiwa Reysol U-18 v Omiya Ardija Youth

In the second game at west stadium of Ajinomoto Stadium, the reigning champion Kashiwa Reysol Under-18 (Chiba) will take on Omiya Ardija Youth (Saitama), who were promoted to the Premier League this year. Both teams have consistently polished their possession games from their Under-12 and Under-15 categories, and they are required not just technically but they are also required to adjust whey they give up the ball to their opponents. While Kashiwa have the experience to have won in the East last year, Omiya have a lot of junior youth members who had triumphed in the JFA 2013 Premier Cup supported by NIKE and promoted up to the youth team, will try to take advantage of their unity. Omiya head coach Ito Akira had led Omiya junior youth until the year before, and it's an advantage for him to know the traits of the players well. The game that the promoted team challenge the defending champions is an intriguing contest to predict the entire EAST season this year.

■Kashiwa Reysol U-18 v Omiya Ardija Youth
Date and time: 1:30 p.m. kickoff, 11 April (Saturday)
Site: West stadium, Ajinomoto Stadium
Access: five-minute walk from Tobitakyu station of Keio line, 20-minute walk fro Tama station of Seibu line

2015 Prince Takamado Trophy Under-18 football league Premier League EAST

The season opens on 11 April! All the opening-day matches will be played at the same area in the central format

11 April (Saturday)
West stadium, Ajinomoto Stadium
11:00  JFA Academy Fukushima v Shimizu S-Pulse Youth
13:30  Kashiwa Reysol U-18 v Omiya Ardija Youth

12 April (Sunday)
West stadium, Ajinomoto Stadium
11:00 Funabashi Municipal High School v Consadole Sapporo U-18
13:30 Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School v Aomori Yamada High School
Amino Vital Field
13:00   FC Tokyo U-18 v Kashima Antlers Youth

The four matches will be aired on JFA-TV on live telecasts!
We will post on the F.C Tokyo U-18 v Kashima Antlers Youth (Amino Vital Field) later.
*Please note you may not be able to watch the live broadcasting due to the Internet traffic, etc.
*The kick-off time is subject to change depending on ending time of the previous match.

Click here for JFA-TV

More information on Premier League EAST