The 10th Sec. of the Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2019 EAST took place between Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July at various locations. The two high school giants, Aomori Yamada High School (Aomori) and Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School (Chiba) went head-to-head at Aomori.

Pick-up Match

Aomori Yamada High School 3-1 (3-0, 0-1) Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School

As coach SAITO Reon, who was the acting coach for Ryutsu Keizai Kashiwa on this day, later reflected, “we didn’t enter the match that bad,” the Chiba side showcased great focus to apply aggressive pressure from the early minutes of the match, but Aomori Yamada still managed to find ways to score goals against them.

The opening goal came in the ninth minute, when Aomori’s TAKEDA Hidetoshi (#10) converted a penalty kick they’ve earned from a hand ball called inside the box. Two minutes later, Takeda scored his second goal when he received the ball from FURUYADO Riku (#6) and struck a left footed shot, as he reflected after the match, “Furuyado gave me a great pass and I was able to control the ball with my first touch. The shot went just the way I envisioned.”

The two early goals scored by Aomori Yamada casted a shadow over Ryutsu Keizai Kashiwa, as their midfielder YAGI Koshi (#10) mentioned, “after conceding the first goal, the entire team started to play passively.” With a two-goal lead and a huge mental advantage, the Aomori side captured their third goal in the 22nd minute. The gaol came when Takeda delivered a long delivery from a free kick, allowing MATSUKI Kuryu (#7) to capitalise with a jumping header at the far side.

After finishing the first half with zero shots, Ryutsu Keizai Kashiwa was forced to make changes in their system during halftime. With the team adding more numbers in midfield, coach Saito explained his approach, “we had to stop Takeda and Matsuki from playing freely at the central area of the midfield.”

In the early minutes of the second half, Ryutsu Keizai Kashiwa managed to score their first goal, when FUJII Kaito (#4) converted an opportunity created from a throw-in. The goal gave momentum for the Kashiwa side, but led by FUJIWARA Yudai (#5) and HAKOZAKI Hiraku (#4), Aomori Yamada showcased great persistency to keep their lead intact. With Ryutsu Keizai Kashiwa struggling to score goals from their chances, Aomori Yamada earned a 3-1 victory to remain atop of the leader board with an undefeated record.

Despite their win, coach KURODA Go of Aomori Yamada assessed the match, “we need to improve in many aspects,” but also mentioned, “for the players, maybe it was better than claiming an easy victory.” Coach Saito on the other hand shared his take on the match, “in terms of overall performance, it was an equally matched bout, with Aomori Yamada taking control in the first half, while Ryutsu Keizai Kashiwa taking over the second half. But the final result shows the difference between the two sides. We must train during the summer to become more critical in front of the goal.”

Coaches and Players' Comments

KURODA Go, Coach (Aomori Yamada High School)
The Inter-High School Championships is coming up soon, but we were fully committed towards the league match. In today’s match, we focused on containing the opponent’s two forwards and winning the battle in the flanks. I also told the players to be fully aware of the counterattacks. More than anything, I stress the importance of taking care of our own business before worrying about the opponents. It was great that we managed to score the first goal in the early minutes of the game, but our performance in the second half left us with plenty of homework.

GK #1 SATO Shibuki (Aomori Yamada High School)
We entered the first half with the intention to limit the risks. Although we managed to showcase a good performance in the first half, we conceded a goal from our own mistake at the start of the second half. The fact that we conceded a goal from a set-piece leaves us room for improvements. We struggled to collect the loose balls in the second half and faced a tough stretch. Our strong intention to focus on defence first has allowed us to keep the top place of the league.

SAITO Reon, Coach (Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School)
It was important to keep the two players, Takeda and Matsuki, from doing their jobs in this match. However, we failed to contain them in the first half, while we managed to stop them in the second half. The difference between the two teams is in the quality of the plays at the final third. It’s not about techniques, but rather the ability to keep a wide perspective under pressure. We strongly felt that Aomori Yamada had the upper hand in that aspect, so we will utilise the summer intermission to train ourselves to fill that gap.

MF #10 YAGI Koshi (Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School)
It was regretful that we lost our composure after conceding the first goal from a penalty kick. We had to communicate more in those situations. We added more players in midfield to make the adjustment, but it would’ve been better if we managed to fill in that space from the first half. We only have eight more league matches and the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament left this season, so we hope to improve over the summer to become a better team.

Results of other matches

Shimizu S-Pulse Youth 1-1 (1-1, 0-0) Urawa Red Diamonds Youth
Kashima Antlers Youth 1-0 (1-0, 0-0) Omiya Ardija U18
Shoshi High School 3-1 (2-1, 1-0) Kashiwa Reysol U-18
Jubilo Iwata U-18 1-2 (0-1, 1-1) Funabashi Municipal High School

Shimizu S-Pulse Youth (Shizuoka) and Urawa Red Diamonds Youth (Saitama) shared a point apiece after each team scored a goal in the first half. Kashima Antlers Youth (Ibaraki) earned their first victory in six matches after holding on to a 1-0 lead over Omiya Ardija U18 (Saitama) at home. Shoshi High School (Fukushima) defeated Kashiwa Reysol U-18 (Chiba) to escape from the relegation zone. Funabashi Municipal High School (Chiba) scored the game winner against Jubilo Iwata U-18(Shizuoka) in the second half to register their first win since game week five.

Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2019

League Duration: Sat. 6 April - Sun. 8 December 2019

League Information