The JFA 28th U-15 Japan Futsal Championship reached its final day on Monday 9 January, with two semi-final matches and the final taking place, which saw Fugador Sumida Wings (Kanto 2/Tokyo) claim their first title.

In the first semi-final match, Fugador Sumida faced tournament debutant FC Forte U15 (Hokkaido 2). The match started with both goalkeepers, Forte’s Chiba Utai and Fugador Sumida’s ITO Takaki, making their presence felt at both ends, but Fugador Sumida took the lead in the ninth minute with the goal scored by their captain NAMEKI Tamiyu, which was followed by a goal scored by SEGUCHI Haruki just a minute later.

YOSHIDA Asahi's goal for Forte in the 19th minute reduced their deficit, but Nameki scored his second goal of the match just two minutes later to put Fugador Sumida back in the lead by two goals. Despite the late surge made by Forte, who used their power play in the final minutes, Fugador Sumida maintained their lead to advance to the final with a 3-1 victory.

The other semi-final match between Kochi Junior High School (Shikoku/Kochi) and Hokkaido Consadole Kushiro (Hokkaido 1) saw Kochi Junior High score three goals within the first four minutes of the match. After finishing the first period with a 4-1 lead, Kochi Junior High conceded a goal to Consadole Kushiro’s HASHIDA Izumi in the 17th minute but responded with three consecutive goals scored by the attacking duo MATSUDA Toa and MURATA Oya. Consadole Kushiro made a late comeback by scoring three goals in the final two minutes of play but were unable to overturn the deficit as Kochi Junior High won 7-5.

The final between two sides vying for their first national title, started with Fugador Sumida applying aggressive pressure from the outset, as Nameki later reflected, “Throughout the tournament, Kochi Junior High had taken the initiative by scoring early goals, so we wanted to throw them off that trend.” However, Kochi Junior High demonstrated incredible tenacity to defend their goal under the leadership of their first-year goalkeeper NISHIMURA Keita, and as they grew accustomed to the pressure from their opponents, they scored the opening goal in the sixth minute thanks to a combination play between Murata and Matsuda, who combined for five goals scored in the semi-finals.

Despite their early struggles to find the back of the net, Fugador Sumida managed to equalise in the 15th minute, when HABU Kohei fired a powerful left footed shot that pierced the net, in which Kochi Junior High’s coach MORIMOTO Minoru described, “It seemed like it was off target before it took a huge dip. You don’t normally see that kind of technique at the junior high school level. It really changed the dynamics of the match.”

Fugador Sumida gained momentum from the goal that tied the score just before halftime, and in the first minute of the second period, Habu scored another outstanding goal from a set-piece to give his team the lead. Kochi Junior High attempted to come back after falling behind, but they were unable to overpower Fugador Sumida's diverse offensive options.

After Nameki and NAKAMURA Yuki added a goal apiece, Fugador Sumida won the match 4-1 to claim their first national title.

Coaches and Players' Comments

FP #22 YOSHIDA Asahi (FC Forte U15)
Starting with our first round match against Brincar, I am sure 90% of people didn’t think we’d get this far. We had a series of tough matches, but we all encouraged each other in difficult situations and won the matches one by one to get to this point. Although we lost in the end, I am glad that none of us gave up and fought until the end, and we had a lot of fun throughout the tournament. The national tournament had a completely different tension from the prefectural tournament. We hope to make the most of this experience in our future football career.

SEIKE Taiki, Coach (Fugador Sumida Wings)
The players performed admirably. With the exception of two, we were able to field all of our players, including all of the third year players, for the final. Giving them as many opportunities to play as you can is, in my opinion, what's most important at the development age, so to be able to do that and win the championship is a significant accomplishment for us. I am happy that we were able to become the first F.League youth team to win the national championship and prove how competitive futsal teams can be.

FP #7 NAMEKI Tamiyu (Fugador Sumida Wings)
From my first year with the team, we have been practising with the goal of winning the national championship at this tournament. I think we all remembered that feeling, and we all kept our voices up to show our desire to win. During my second year, we couldn't do anything and lost at the Kanto Tournament. This year, I didn’t want to leave any regrets, so I gave my all with the intention of leading the team to victory. I am happy that we were able to become the first F.League youth team to win this title.

FP #4 YOKOTA Hinata (Kochi Junior High School)
It is extremely disappointing that we didn't take advantage of our opportunities and lost the chance to win the championship. In the final, we conceded the first goal because we weren’t sure who was in charge of pressing the ball. We are very disappointed at the moment, but we hope to make the most of this experience once we move onto high school.

JFA 28th U-15 Japan Futsal Championship

Tournament Dates: Sat. 7 - Mon. 9 January 2023
Venue: Nikkan Arena Tochigi (Tochigi)

Tournament Information