The 18th sec. of the Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2022 will take place on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16.

EAST

League leaders Kawasaki Frontale U-18 (Kanagawa) will welcome Yokohama FC Youth (Kanagawa) to their home. Last week, Kawasaki conceded a late equaliser to draw with Funabashi Municipal High School (Chiba), leaving them with a record of one win, one draw, and two losses since September. With second placed Yokohama F.Marinos Youth (Kanagawa) just three points behind, this match against Yokohama FC is a match they cannot afford to lose in order to maintain their lead. Yokohama FC on the other hand, are currently in sixth place. They have shown good form since the league resumed in September, marking three wins, one draw, and one loss. Coming off a win over Maebashi Ikuei High School (Gunma), they will seek to ride the momentum to cause an upset against the league leaders.

Second placed Yokohama FM will face 10th placed JFA Academy Fukushima U-18 (Shizuoka). Yokohama FM have been undefeated in the last six matches but are coming off two consecutive draws. They will seek to get back on their winning ways to close down the gap with Kawasaki. AC Fukushima on the other hand, have lost three games in a row. They too are desperate for a win, as they seek to escape the relegation zone.

Two of the high school powerhouses, seventh placed Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School (Chiba) and fifth placed Aomori Yamada High School (Aomori) will clash this week. Both sides hold a winning record against high school teams, as Ryutsu Keizai Kashiwa hold a record of three wins, one draw, and one loss, while Aomori Yamada hold a record of five wins and two losses. The last time the two faced each other, Aomori Yamada won the match thanks to the goal of KOIZUMI Kaito (#22). The clash between the two teams, both of which have won the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament, is likely to be a touchstone for the upcoming high school football season.

Other matches will be played between Kiryu Daiichi High School (Gunma) and Maebashi Ikuei, Funabashi Municipal and FC Tokyo U-18 (Tokyo), Kashiwa Reysol U-18 (Chiba) and Omiya Ardija U18 (Saitama).

WEST

League leaders Sagan Tosu U-18 (Saga) will face seventh placed Nagoya Grampus U-18 (Aichi). Although Tosu have been undefeated for the last seven matches, they conceded a late equaliser to draw against Shimizu S-Pulse Youth (Shizuoka) last week, and they will seek to get back on their winning ways to claim the West title. Nagoya are also seeking to bounce back after suffering a come-from-behind loss to Ozu High School (Kumamoto) last week. With the first leg between the two sides being postponed due to the pandemic, this will be their first encounter of the season, and it will be interesting to see which side will make the most this match to gain momentum for the final stretch of the season.

Second placed Jubilo Iwata U-18 (Shizuoka) will clash against third placed Vissel Kobe U-18 (Hyogo) in the top-tier showdown. Despite suffering three consecutive losses following the season break, Iwata have bounced back with three consecutive wins and hope to carry the momentum to extend their winning streak. Kobe on the other hand, had a slow start to the season, but joined the title race by keeping a nine-game undefeated streak since the eighth sec. Last week they conceded a late equaliser to draw against Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC Youth (Hiroshima) but seek to bounce back with a win over Iwata, who they lost 3-1 in the first half of the season.

Fourth placed Shizuoka Gakuen High School (Shizuoka) will welcome 10th placed Cerezo Osaka U-18 (Osaka) to their home. Shizuoka Gakuen started the season strong but cooled off after a six-game winless stretch, in which they marked three draws and three losses. Following their 6-3 victory over Higashi Fukuoka High School (Fukuoka) on Wednesday 12, the Shizuoka side will seek to regain their momentum to get back in the title race when they face the struggling Cerezo Osaka, who are in the midst of a five game losing streak.

Other matches are scheduled between Riseisha High School (Osaka) and Higashi Fukuoka, Hiroshima and Shimizu, Otsu and Gamba Osaka Youth (Osaka).

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Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2022

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

League Information