The 17th sec. of the Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2022 EAST took place from Saturday 8 to Monday 10 October. At AGF Field, FC Tokyo U-18 (Tokyo) squared off against Kashiwa Reysol U-18 (Chiba).

Featured Match

FC Tokyo U-18 2-1 (1-1, 1-0) Kashiwa Reysol U-18

The match started with FC Tokyo taking the initiative, as the home side applied aggressive pressure from the front line to break up the opponent’s build-ups, while carefully connecting passes from the back. With KUMATA Naoki (#9) controlling the long feeds upfront, the Tokyo side created number of dynamic attacks, which led to the opener scored by OIJI Keita (#10), who converted a corner kick with a header in the 28th minute.

FC Tokyo continued to showcase their dominance, but Kashiwa managed to capitalise on their few chances, scoring the equaliser during additional time of the first half, when YAMAMOTO Ota (#9) responded to a loose ball and fired a powerful shot into the goal.

After conceding a goal at the end of the first half, FC Tokyo scored in their very first play of the second half, when Kumata converted a cross delivered by MATSUMOTO Aiki (#14), as the striker later reflected, “The players on the flanks are capable of delivering quality crosses, so I just focused on making good contact.”

Kashiwa started to rally following this goal, as they collect the ball to their tall forward KONNO Nobuhiro (#18) but couldn’t quite find ways to send the ball into the net. Although it was Kashiwa who gained momentum in the closing minutes, the Tokyo defence led by team captain DOI Kanta (#3) showcased great focus to keep their one goal lead intact.

With this victory, FC Tokyo are now undefeated in five straight matches to stay in contention for the title race. Kashiwa on the other hand, missed their opportunity to win back-to-back matches, as coach SAKAI Naoki commented, “We can’t win matches without scoring goals, so we need to work to raise the quality of our plays.”

Coaches and Players' Comments

OKUHARA Takashi, Coach (FC Tokyo U-18)
We did a great job controlling the game in the first half, but we conceded from a restart to make the match difficult. In the second half, we lost possession of the ball from careless plays, when we needed to keep possession of the ball. We were getting contained by our opponents at the end, but the players did a great job encouraging each other to defend the lead to win the match. We are finally getting closer to the ideal football style we had been striving for, such as improved ball possession and understanding of the system, so we will work hard as a team with the players and not give up until the end.

FW #9 KUMATA Naoki (FC Tokyo U-18)
In the first half, we managed to create chances by applying aggressive pressure from the frontline, but we weren’t able make adjustments to our opponent’s build-up plays in the second half. It made us realise that we need to communicate more in order to keep everyone on the same page. (Reflecting on the goal scene) The players on the flanks are capable of delivering quality crosses, so I just focused on making good contact. I am glad I was able to convert that opportunity.

SAKAI Naoki, Coach (Kashiwa Reysol U-18)
We lacked concentration and conceded goals in the stages of the match where we were most alerted, including the start, the end, and restarts. It’s disappointing that we let down in those moments. The fact that we were able create chances is a good thing, so we need to apply more numbers upfront and improve the quality of our plays in the final third.

FW #9 YAMAMOTO Ota (Kashiwa Reysol U-18)
It was an intense match from the outset, and we allowed our opponents to create chances because we weren’t pressing as a team, so that is an aspect we need to fix. All and all, the quality of our plays in the attacking third was poor, so we need to work in that regards as well. I think I can prove my worth by scoring a goal in each game, so I will continue to do my best to help the team win.

Results of other matches

JFA Academy Fukushima U-18 1-2 (0-0, 1-2) Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School
Aomori Yamada High School 2-0 (0-0, 2-0) Kiryu Daiichi High School
Maebashi Ikuei High School 0-1 (0-0, 0-1) Yokohama FC Youth
Funabashi Municipal High School 1-1 (0-0, 1-1) Kawasaki Frontale U-18
Omiya Ardija U18 2-2 (0-0, 2-2) Yokohama F.Marinos Youth

In the match between JFA Academy Fukushima U-18 (Shizuoka) and Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School (Chiba), AC Fukushima took the lead in the early minutes of the second half, but Ryutsu Keizai Kashiwa scored back-to-back goals in the 73rd and 77th minutes to claim the victory. Aomori Yamada High School (Aomori) scored a pair of goals in the second half to beat Kiryu Daiichi High School (Gunma). KATO Takatora (#14) scored the decisive goal in the 89th minute to give Yokohama FC Youth (Kanagawa) a win over Maebashi Ikuei High School (Gunma). Despite conceding the lead to Kawasaki Frontale U-18 (Kanagawa), Funabashi Municipal High School (Chiba) managed to walk away with a point, thanks to the late equaliser scored by MARUYAMA Yugo (#7). Yokohama F.Marinos Youth (Kanagawa) managed to crawl out of a two goal deficit with the brace scored by UCHINO Kotaro (#9) to share a point with Omiya Ardija U18 (Saitama).

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Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2022

League Duration: Sat. 2 April - Sun. 4 December 2022

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