On Saturday 18 August, day two of the JFA Vermont Cup 28th U-12 Japan Futsal Championship took place at two venues, Komazawa Gymnasium and Indoor Ball Sports Field, both at Komazawa Olympic Park Sports Ground in Tokyo. The day saw the final matches in group stage as well as the round of 16, giving plenty of action for the spectators.

In groups where the teams advancing to the final round were not determined in day one, displayed an even more intense battle.

Group B saw a clash between the two teams winning their first two matches, as Aomori Football Club U-12 (Aomori) and Areaito Football Academy (Fukuoka). It was Areaito who led at halftime with a score of 2-1, but Aomori’s AOSHIMA Towa scored two goals in the second half to capture their top spot in the league. In Group G, Tottori KFC U-12 (Tottori) and Kashima Antlers Junior (Ibaraki) were also fighting for the top spot, showcasing a see-saw battle. The match entered the final minutes with a tied score of 2-2, but Kashima broke the deadlock by scoring two goals. Despite Tottori’s effort to rally back, Kashima earned the group lead with a 4-3 victory.

Diablossa Takada FC U-12 (Nara), Espeda Asahikawa (Hokkaido2), and Kounanminami SS (Saitama) were all in contention in Group C, where the two final matches were held at different venues. Espeda waited for the other match’s result after winning their own match to extend their points to six. However, holding a goal differential of “-2,” leads them in an uncomfortable spot, in case the teams were tied in game points. The other match between Diablossa and Kounanminami progressed in a tie, with one goal apiece until the closing minutes of the match. Kounanminami, who had three points before entering this match, took a two-goal lead when UENISHI Haruki captured two consecutive goals. At this point, the two teams were tied with six points, and shared the same goal differential of “1.” Diablossa had the advantage in total goals with a mere one goal difference.

Desperate to take the lead, Kounanminami dominated the remaining minutes and attacked the Diablossa goal tenaciously. To make the situation more dramatic, one of the Diablossa player was ejected with less than a minute left in the match. Despite the efforts made by Kounanminami, Diablossa kept the score intact to secure their top spot of the group.

The 12 group leaders were joined by the four wild-card teams to setup the fixtures for the round of 16. The tournament welcomed 10 guests, former Japan Futsal National Team coach, Mr. Ademar Pereira Marinho, former Japan National Team members, Mr. KAJI Akira and Mr. SUZUKI Keita, former Japan Futsal National Team members Mr. KITAHARA Wataru and Mr. HATONO Daisuke, comedian Mr. Diego Kato Maradona, and four members of the freestyle football performance group, CUBE, to conduct an exhibition match against the participating teams of the tournament. Every participating team were given a chance to face the guest team, showcasing a serious bout against the top players, bringing up the voltage of the crowd.

The round of 16 was dictated by teams with momentum.

After losing to the defending champions, SJFSC･PIVO (Shizuoka), Roots Futsal Club (Shiga) won their way into the finals as a wild card and faced the Group F leaders, Avanzare Sendai SC (Miyagi). With the technical efforts made by TANIGUCHI Keito, who scored three goals, and with the help of TENRAI Miki’s four goals, Roots Futsal Club won the match with a score of 12-5, as their team tactics shined at the national stage.

Osaka City Jeunesse FC (Osaka), who burst out of the group league with three wins in which they marked 25 goals, faced Brincar FC (Aichi), who is considered as the top pick to win the championship. Against the expectations, it was the Osaka side who led the match with a 5-0 lead. The match saw plenty of action, as Osaka displayed their style of “Entertaining football” to take down the action filled match which ended with a final score of 9-7.

Despite entering the tournament for the first time in 11 years, Asahigaoka FC (Ishikawa) showcased their strengths to join the quarterfinals, along with Kushiro Combat (Hokkaido1), Nishinomiya SS (Hyogo), who scored 34 goals in four matches, the wild-card contenders Les Bleus (Hiroshima), who entered the tournament for the first time, and FC Persimmon (Kanagawa).

On Sunday 19, the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and final will take place to determine the U-12 futsal national champions.

Coaches’ Comments

SHIBATA Kazuya, Coach (FC Kakunodate Cerejesta Junior)
It was our first time playing in this tournament, so we were committed to win a match to leave a mark at this national stage. We didn’t want to play a throw-away match, we wanted to play a match that we can feed off of. We played training matches against Kounanminami and other teams from Kanto, two days ahead of the tournament to get used to the speed displayed at the national level, so technically, this was our fourth day into the tournament. We were given such wonderful opportunity. Until we participated in this tournament, we couldn’t fathom the height of the national champions, but now we know how far we are, so we will do our best to come back here again next year. We as a coach will have to discuss with each other to make that happen.

TAKAHASHI Mikio, Coach (Valiente Toyama Junior)
We managed to perform well in our last match but compared to those teams making it forward to the next round, we were not prepared enough. Our team was supported by many people from May, and with the help of Mr. MAEKAWA Yoshinobu, who watched over our trainings periodically as the head coach, we managed to put up a good fight against the other teams at this level. If there were a difference, it must have been in the mental aspects, and that is something we must become able to control in the future.

SASAKI Go, Coach (Les Bleus)
I didn’t have to tell my kids anything, because they managed to observe how their opponents played and make the adjustments accordingly during the match. We showed a great comeback in our first match, despite being down by five goals, and once we were used to the atmosphere of the match venue, our team displayed a performance I have never seen before. Although we have set our goals to reach the quarterfinals, I honestly wasn’t expecting to make it this far. So, I am very grateful for the players for working hard and giving their very best at the matches. From here on, it is a freeroll for us, so we will enjoy ourselves while striving to make a deep run.

FURUI Shunpei, Coach (Brincar FC)
Although we told each other that we need to stay composed even when the opponents score first, we lost our composure when we actually got scored on. If we could have converted our chances after conceding the goals, maybe we had a chance to comeback, but conversely, we conceded more goals, so this loss was on us. Perhaps our players were too eager to score the goals by themselves. Strong teams will lose occasionally, but a real strong team will ultimately win the match regardless. I am sure that the players are disappointed, and I wish I can let them keep on playing. However, this is a reminder that we must get stronger. I hope they can feed off of this experience to become a better player.

Sat. 18 August 1st Round Day 2 Goal Scenes

JFA Vermont Cup 28th U-12 Japan Futsal Championship

Tournament dates: Fri. 17 - Sun. 19 August 2018
Tournament venue: Komazawa Gymnasium and Indoor Ball Sports Field at Komazawa Olympic Park Sports Ground, Tokyo
Tournament Information