The seventh sec. of the Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2021 EAST took place on Sunday 23 May.

Pick-up Match

Shimizu S-Pulse Youth 1-3 (0-1, 1-2) Aomori Yamada High School

The two teams with perfect records, second place Shimizu S-Pulse Youth (Shizuoka) and first place Aomori Yamada High School (Aomori), clashed at National Training Center Shimizu (J-STEP).

Both sides entered the match with great enthusiasm, triggering an intense battle from the early minutes. However, it was the Aomori side who took the initiative, as they applied aggressive pressure to initiate short counters deep in the opposing territory. While Aomori’s ace MATSUKI Kuryu (#10) mentioned that they were focused on winning the second ball, Shimizu’s SUZUKI Keigo (#25) reflected that they were overwhelmed in the battles to win the loose ball.

Despite the tenacious efforts showcased by the Shimizu defence, the deadlock was broken in the 43rd minute, when Aomori Yamada’s WATANABE Sera (#17) converted a CK delivered by Matsuki.

After conceding the opening goal in the closing minutes of the first half, the home side rallied to start the second half, as Shimizu’s ace CHIBA Kanta (#9) scored the equaliser in the 55th minute. However, the score did not remain tied for long, as Aomori Yamada increased their pressure following this goal.

Aomori Yamada retook the lead in the 60th minute when OTO Taiyo (#2) broke through the right flank and delivered a cross towards the far side. With TAZAWA Yuzumu (#16) redirecting the ball back to the middle, FUJIMORI Sota (#11) struck a beautiful volley shot that pierced the net. After Matsuki added another goal in the 67th minute by converting a PK, Aomori Yamada took down the match 3-1, extending their winning streak to seven games since the season opener.

Following the match, Aomori Yamada’s coach KURODA Go described their key to success, “We have been spending a lot of time to increase our intensity level,” and praised his players for their dedication. Shimizu’s coach IWASHITA Jun on the other hand mentioned, “We must make the most of this experience” and promised to make a come back from this loss.

The Premier League EAST will now enter an intermission period and resume on Saturday 26 June.

Coaches and Players' Comments

IWASHITA Jun, Coach (Shimizu S-Pulse Youth)
We were completely beaten today. We must accept this result and try to make the most of it. Although there were scenes where we managed to evade Aomori Yamada’s pressure, we couldn’t find ways to score goals, and we were only able to take three shots. This match has allowed us to realise what it takes to compete at the highest level, and we feel fortunate to be given this opportunity. In order to become a better team, we must learn from these kinds of matches and strive to reach a higher level.

FW #9 CHIBA Kanta (Shimizu S-Pulse Youth)
Although I was able to score a goal, it doesn’t mean anything if I can’t help the team win the match. We were overwhelmed by Aomori Yamada’s pressure, and played a bit too passively in the first half. Both teams entered the match with a perfect record, but our opponent was clearly the better team. We are not satisfied being in second place and we are very disappointed with our performance today. We still have plenty of games left in this league, so we will try to make the most of the upcoming intermission period and strive to become a better team.

KURODA Go, Coach (Aomori Yamada High School)
We focused on the fundamentals, such as making runs, fighting for the ball, and winning the loose ball. When looking at the international trends of football, intensity has become a key factor in this day and age. That is why we focus on that aspect and the fact that we are getting results proves a point that intensity is an essential factor in football. Regardless of their position, I demand high intensity from all of my players, and I feel that our players have gotten stronger over the season.

MF #11 FUJIMORI Sota (Aomori Yamada High School)
Three years ago, we lost to Shimizu Junior Youth in PKs at the JFA U-15 Japan Football Championship final, and I still vividly remember that moment. That is why I was determined to score a goal today, and it felt so good when I scored a goal. The goal came from a play we had been working on in our training sessions, so I am glad we were able to score from that play. I just focused on getting on top of the ball and making firm contact with the ball.

Results of other matches

Urawa Red Diamonds Youth 2-5 (1-2, 1-3) Yokohama F.Marinos Youth
Funabashi Municipal High School 1-1 (1-0, 0-1) Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School
Yokohama FC Youth 0-0 (0-0, 0-0) Omiya Ardija U18
FC Tokyo U-18 Postponed Kashiwa Reysol U-18

Propelled by the hat-trick scored by UCHINO Kotaro (#9), Yokohama F.Marinos Youth (Kanagawa) scored five goals in back to back matches, as they won an away match against Urawa Red Diamonds Youth (Saitama). In the fixture between two high school teams based in Chiba, Funabashi Municipal High School (Chiba) and Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School (Chiba) exchanged a goal apiece to take home a point each. The match between Yokohama FC Youth (Kanagawa) and Omiya Ardija U18 (Saitama) ended in a scoreless draw. The match between FC Tokyo U-18 (Tokyo) and Kashiwa Reysol U-18 (Chiba) was postponed in response to the declared state of emergency.

Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2021

League Duration: Sat. 3 April - Sun. 5 December 2021

League Information