Pick-up Match
Nagoya Grampus U18 vs Vissel Kobe U-18

The 7th Sec. of the Prince Takamado Trophy U-18 Premier League WEST will take place on 2-3 July. At Toyota Sports Centre, Nagoya Grampus U18 (Aichi) will play against Vissel Kobe U-18 (Hyogo).

Nagoya are playing at home this time, and are now in 6th place with 2 wins and 4 defeats. Their advantage as a team is offence; in the 2nd Sec. against Kyoto Sanga F.C. U-18 (Kyoto) they scored 5 goals, then in the previous Sec. against Ozu High School (Kumamoto) they scored 3 goals. However, as the team’s Coach YAMAZAKI Makoto says “we have issues in our defence”, they have conceded 14 goals in the recent 6 matches.

For example, in the previous match against Ozu High School, they conceded 3 goals in between the 62nd minute and the 78th minute. Once they break down they cannot stop it, and this is their issue. Yamazaki expects the players to “get the strength to remain patient and stop the opponent’s momentum especially when they are in a challenging time.”

On the other hand, Kobe who are in 5th place with 4 points more than Nagoya, have been in good condition with 3 wins and 1 draw since the 3rd Sec. In the Kansai Regional Qualifier of the JAPAN Club Youth (U-18) Football Championship which was held during the break time of this Premier League, they broke through a series of strong teams and went through as a top team. This made the players confident.

“At the JAPAN Club Youth (U-18) Football Championship, we could let various players play on the pitch and now we can see new approaches as a team”, says the team’s Coach NODA Satoru. On the other hand, some issues do exist; 3 players cannot play due to injuries such as defender KOBAYASHI Yuki, midfielder YASUI Takuya, and forward HARA Mikoto. Just like in the previous match which they had to cover these missing players, their general strengths as a team will be tested again.

Coach and Players' Comments

YAMAZAKI Makoto, Coach (Nagoya Grampus U18)
We will play as challengers against Kobe who are in a higher position in the league. The key is defence. Since the start, I have told the players that what we need to improve is defence, so they know that, but we haven’t made good results yet. How much they can be patient in the difficult situation, if they can stay patient the situation can be changed to better; these are the things that they can never learn without successful experiences. What is important when they concede any goal is to switch their mind to be positive, not to sink in to negative mentality. If they can overcome their issue, I think our mood will be better.

NODA Satoru, Coach (Vissel Kobe U-18)
We had consecutive defeats right after the opening, but we gradually settled as a team. Since the 3rd Sec., we have not been defeated so we definitely want to keep this statistic. However, I’m not satisfied with our current condition; we have won by a nose several times and there were matches that we let ourselves get into difficult situations by not being able to score well such as in the previous match against Oita (Vissel won 1-0). Reflecting upon our issues well, how we can overcome the difficult time is our key. Currently we have missed many players due to injuries. When they come back, I expect the players to be more competitive amongst themselves.

DOHANA Kazuki (Vissel Kobe U-18)
Forward players can break through maximising their skill, and we have good combination to aim for the goal. These two things are our team’s advantages. While we have many players who can’t play on the pitch due to injuries, different players did good jobs and made good results, and this fact makes us confident. To play against the team who is good at scoring, how we can block them will be the key point for us. My strengths are consistency in 1-on-1 moments and heading, so I want to contribute to the team’s victory maximising my advantages. The teams in the Premier League are strong, so I am excited to see how much we can do against these strong teams.

Nagoya Grampus U18 vs Vissel Kobe U-18
Date: Sun. 3 July kick-off 11:00
Venue: Toyota Sports Center
Access: 10 minutes walk from Meitetsu Toyota line “Miyoshigaoka” station.

Premier League WEST Match Day 7

7/2
11:00　Ozu High School vs Cerezo Osaka U-18 (Ozu Sports Park Stadium)
15:00　Kobe Koryo Gakuen High School vs Kyoto Sanga F.C. U-18 (Mikibo Park Hyogo)
16:30　Higashi Fukuoka High School vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC Youth (Higashi Fukuoka High School)

7/3
11:00　Oita Trinita U-18 vs Gamba Osaka Youth (Oita Sports Park)

Ozu High School (Kumamoto) who got the first victory after turning around the game in the previous Sec., will play at home against Cerezo Osaka U-18 who are currently on top of the league . Kobe Koryo Gakuen High School (Hyogo) will play against Kyoto Sanga F.C. U-18 (Kyoto); they will try to get their first victory since the opening match.

Higashi Fukuoka High School (Fukuoka) who are in 2nd place will face Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC Youth (Hiroshima) currently in 4th place. Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC have got momentum after beating Gamba Osaka Youth in the previous Sec., and how Higashi Fukuoka High School will play against this team will be worth checking. Gamba Osaka will play away against Oita Trinita U-18 (Oita). Check out if Gamba will sweep away the previous defeat this time. 

JFA-TV (Japanese version only)

Match Day 6 Digest

More information