The 17th sec. of the Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2022 WEST took place from Saturday 8 to Monday 10 October. At IAI Stadium Nihondaira, Shimizu S-Pulse Youth (Shizuoka) welcomed the league leaders Sagan Tosu U-18 (Saga).

Featured Match

Shimizu S-Pulse Youth 3-3 (1-1, 2-2) Sagan Tosu U-18

The match took place at IAI Stadium Nihondaira, the venue used by Shimizu’s top team. “It is a sacred place for our club, and it gives us extra strengths to play here. The players are feeling a lot of emotions including the responsibility to win,” said coach SAWANOBORI Masaaki.

However, it was Tosu who took the initiative of the match, as coach Sawanobori later reflected, “Each and every player on the Tosu side played with great technique. They were capable of evading our pressure and deliver accurate feeds across the field throughout the match.” In the 18th minute, Tosu scored the opening goal when NARAHARA Yoshiki (#7) converted the cross of SAKAIYA Keisuke (#9), as SAKAI Shunya (#4) later commented, “We knew our opponents were vulnerable in the flanks, so we were anticipating for our opportunities.”

Shimizu also made attempts to penetrate the flanks by collecting the ball to TANAKA Jigen (#8) but couldn’t find ways to finish their plays with a shot. However, the home side managed to score the equaliser in the 34th minute, when WADA Kosei (#4) converted a loose ball following a free kick, in which coach Sawanobori later reflected, “This team is mentally fragile, so that goal meant a lot.”

At the beginning of the second half, YAMASAKI Haruki (#26) played a pass-and-go with Narahara to exploit the space behind the Shimizu defence and calmly slotted the ball into the net to give Tosu the lead. Led by HAYASHI Sotaro (#16) and YAMAMOTO Sota (#2), the league leaders continued to create chances, but struggled to score their third goal, which opened up an opportunity for Shimizu to come back. In the 74th minute, SAITO Yuzuki (#11) redirected the delivery from WATANABE Keika (#14) to level the game once more.

Tosu claimed the lead for the third time in the match, when Sakai converted a penalty kick earned by Yamamoto in the 90th minute, but Tosu showcased their resilience when SEKIGUCHI Kota (#34) responded to a loose ball inside the box to induce a foul, allowing Saito to score from the spot in the fourth minute of additional time. Saito, who scored a brace commented after the match, “We had been undefeated at IAI Stadium since last season, so we were feeling the pressure that this was a match we couldn’t afford to lose. We all knew what it means to play here, so this is a huge point for us.”

Coaches and Players' Comments

SAWANOBORI Masaaki, Coach (Shimizu S-Pulse Youth)
We were chasing our opponents throughout the match, but our determination prevailed in the shape of a PK earned in that last moment. It is not easy earn points against the league leaders. The fact that we were able to equalise at the very end will give us great confidence for our next match. We will be playing an away match next week, but a win away from home should give us a boost to our momentum, so although we are in the midst of a tough run of fixtures, we hope to stay aggressive to earn points, especially knowing that we have five more home games left to be played.

FW #11 SAITO Yuzuki (Shimizu S-Pulse Youth)
We had been undefeated at IAI Stadium since last season, so we were feeling the pressure that this was a match we couldn’t afford to lose. We all knew what it means to play here, so this is a huge point for us. Personally, I am happy that I was able to score two goals, but I needed to score one more. Last year, (CHIBA) Kanta averaged at least a goal per game, so I need to catch up with him. Scoring 10 goals in 17 matches is not enough, so I will try to score multiple goals in each of the remaining matches.

TANAKA Tomonori, Coach (Sagan Tosu U-18)
The third goal came during a critical stage of the match, where we had to possess the ball in the opponent’s half, so that is an aspect we need to address. We gave up the penalty kick because we were too exhausted to keep our feet moving, and we responded poorly against a cross when we conceded the second goal, so it was inevitable that we conceded those goals. We need to be more detail oriented. This match made us realise that we have lots of work to do, so we will train even harder once we go back to Saga.

MF #4 SAKAI Shunya (Sagan Tosu U-18)
This match really reminded us that we still have lots of work to do. We have been able to score goals, but we need to get better in the way we close out the match. We simply weren’t good enough to win this match. We are fully determined to reach the finals and win the title. In order to do so, we need to cherish each and every day from here on. We will try to redeem ourselves next week to prove that we are a strong team.

Results of other matches

Cerezo Osaka U-18 2-3 (1-1, 1-2) Riseisha High School
Gamba Osaka Youth 2-1 (0-1, 2-0) Shizuoka Gakuen High School
Nagoya Grampus U-18 2-3 (2-1, 0-2) Ozu High School
Higashi Fukuoka High School 0-1 (0-0, 0-1) Jubilo Iwata U-18
Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC Youth 3-3 (2-2, 1-1) Vissel Kobe U-18

Despite conceding the lead twice to Cerezo Osaka U-18 (Osaka), Riseisha High School (Osaka) managed to equalise on both occasions and took the lead with the goal scored by NISHISAKA Towa (#2) in the 87th minute to claim the win. Gamba Osaka Youth (Osaka) ended their three game losing streak after rallying in the second half to beat Shizuoka Gakuen High School (Shizuoka) at home. YAMASHITA Motonari (#11) scored the decisive goal just before the final whistle to give Ozu High School (Kumamoto) a win over Nagoya Grampus U-18 (Aichi). In the match between Higashi Fukuoka High School (Fukuoka) and Jubilo Iwata U-18 (Shizuoka), the goal scored by GOTO Keisuke (#17) in the 82nd minute turned out to be the difference that gave Iwata three points. Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC Youth (Hiroshima) and Vissel Kobe U-18 (Hyogo) exchanged three goals apiece to share a point each.

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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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