On Sunday 1 June, the 14th National Senior（O-60）Football Championship and the Senior（O-70）Football Festival entered its second day. On that day, the 2nd and 3rd Sec. of the National Senior（O-60） Championship was played and each teams fought desperately in intense heat.

In Group A, Chiba Shijugara SC（Chiba）defeated Kochi Showa OB Club（Kochi）2-0 in the 2nd Sec., achieving a second consecutive win. While Kochi Showa OB Club, Shizuoka Selection Team（Shizuoka）and Miyagi Fenix Soccer Club（Miyagi）failed to earn a point, Chiba Shijugara SC qualified for semi-finals before the 3rd Sec.

Osaka Senior 60（Osaka）, seeking its second consecutive title, thrashed Tokushima Kabarosu Senior 60（Tokushima）6-0 in the 2nd Sec. Senior Okayama FC（Okayama） conceded two goals, putting an end to their 7 match clean sheet streak since the previous tournament, but progressed to the semi-finals. Although Fukuoka Rokujyugara Football Club（Fukuoka）won the 2nd and 3rd Sec., the club narrowly failed to qualify.

Lazos27（Tokyo）, a semi-finalist of the previous competition, earned nine points with their tight defence. They edged Hamamatsu Kaido Club（Shizuoka）, which scored four goals in the 1st Sec., by 1-0 and in the 3rd Sec. against Iwate60（Iwate）, two goals in the second half gave them three points. The team advanced to the semi-finals without conceding a goal in the group stage.

As for Group D, Hyogo Senior 60 Selection Team（Hyogo）won the group. The club was held in the 2nd Sec. against Hiroshima Selection Team 60（Hiroshima）, conceding a last-minute goal. However, they immediately put away the disappointment of the draw and beat SUPER GOAL 3（Hokkaido）5-0, scoring three goals in the first half, to reach the semi-finals.

Today, the last day of the championship, the semi-finals and the final take place. In the semi-finals, Chiba Shijugara SC take on Osaka Senior 60 and Lazos27 face Hyogo Senior 60 Selection Team. Let’s see which team will win the championship.

Comments

KIJIMA（Shinshuwakuwaku Soccer Club）
I was happy to be able to start in our second-week game against SUPER GOAL 3. We have acquired some guys that are younger than me this year and I have played more often as a substitute and it's been tough for me to keep me motivated. But as I started like this and could showed some defensive efforts in 1-on-1 situations, so it's good. We scored our game-winning goal after I save ourselves from a dangerous situation, so maybe my teammates were feeling my frustrations (laughs). Anyway, I'm happy to play football with them. I want to do my best to play as well as those buddies of mine who are saying that they will be active players for their entire life. I'm playing alongside players in their 30s in my local town Karuizawa and with players that are in their 40s or above in Ueda, and I'm staying as young as I used to be.

FUJIGUCHI（Hiroshima Prefecture Selection Team）
It's fun. It almost makes me wonder if football was as fun as this. The feeling of a relieve may be bigger than when I was an active player. I'm pleased to be able to kick the ball on the natural turf and hope to see there will be more of these tournaments. And while I play like this, I feel the importance of being healthy. It's often said, ''Once you get techniques, you are not going to lose them how old you get.'' But it is realized based on your health. If you are not healthy, you cannot move. Besides, you cannot train yourself just like I did for this tournament (laughs). It's important to keep your conditioning on a daily basis, and I feel that way actually playing the game.

SEKI（Hamamatsukaido Club）
We needed nothing but the win against Kagoshima SFC O-60 in the third week. We needed to show our pride as the champions of two tournaments ago, and it was relieving that we netted the game's first goal. I think that all of us have the mind like boys however old they have gotten. Because we have the goal to want to be the best in Japan as the seniors, we can enjoy the game. It's great to play a serious game, and it's the same for anyone, whether it's the juniors or seniors. As for myself, I'm fortunately given the opportunity to play in a national tournament like this, but once I don't get to feel a sense of frustrations from a loss, it'll be all over. Football is my life itself, and however old I become, I want to always set my goal to win as far as I play.

KUMAGAI（Tokyo/Lazos27）
The second- and third-week games were both tough ones, but it was great that we won them both and qualified through the first round. I was confident that we wouldn't get caught off-balance as long as we kept our defensive line. Everybody did his own role while our overall coordination was smooth, and that is why we were able to play the three games without giving up any goals. Next up, it's the semifinals. That's where I could not get through last year, but we have only aimed at becoming the best in Japan, so we would like to make the final first. You might think that I am asking for a little too much, but personally, because I was able to experienced the championship in the tournament for the 50s or above, now I would like to lead the team to another championship in the tournament for the 60s or above to be someone who's earned titles in two different categories.

The 14th National Senior Football Tournament

From Saturday 31 May to Monday 2 June
Fujieda Sports Complex Park Soccer Stadium（natural grass）
Fujieda Sports Complex Park Athletic Field（natural grass）
Fujieda City Ground（natural grass）
Naigai Pharma Manufacturing Fujieda Ground（natural grass）

Cooperation