Pick-up Match

Okayama Yunogo Belle U-15   4-0 (1-0, 3-0)   Hokkaido Lira Consadole

The 21st All Japan Youth (U-15) Women's Championship with 32 qualifying teams from across the country started on Saturday 23 July in Sakai, Osaka.

Eight first round games were held on the first day of the championship, including the one between Okayama Yunogo Belle U-15 (Chugoku 1/Okayama), who aim to win the championship for the first time, and Hokkaido Lira Consadole (Hokkaido 2/Hokkaido), who are participating in their first nation-wide tournament in their second year of their establishment.

Yunogo took the initiative at the beginning of the game. In the 8th minute, INO Rion ran unchallenged on the left side to face the goalkeeper 1-on-1. However, her attempt at goal was unsuccessful. Nerves from their first match, they were unable to move smoothly in front of the goal and capitalize on their early scoring chances. On the other hand, in the 10th minute, NAKAGIMA Miyu of Hokkaido created a goal-scoring opportunity. She intercepted at centre and got through on goal, but her shot was stopped by the Yunogo’s defender. 

The game remained in the balance until the 29th minute. From a corner earned from Kanda Ayane’s attack, Yunogo sent a cross in front of the goal. Then, SHIMADA Hana, who won the ball in the scramble, headed home, striking the opener. She later noted: “the cross was excellent. So all I had to do was win the ball.”

As NAMBA Momoko commented: “the opener made us relaxed,” Yunogo displayed their attacking strength in the second half. In the 37th minute, KOBAYASHI Ayana, who reacted to a cross from the right, slotted it into the goal. And, in the 52nd minute, INO added another to build a three-goal lead.

In the 58th minute, just before the final whistle, KATAYAMA Matsuri, who just came off the bench, stole the ball up front to score their fourth goal. Yunogo earned their first ever victory in their second championship.

Coach and Players' Comments

TANIGUCHI Hiroshi, Coach (Okayama Yunogo Belle U-15)
Last year, in our debut at this championship, although the match went to penalties with 12 kickers, we lost the game. Knowing the difficulty of the opening match, I’ve been thinking how to enter the match this year. We couldn’t pass the ball smoothly due to nerves. We learned again about the difficulty of the first game. Winning the game has brought the players some confidence. They have been improving throughout this year, and I believe they will perform even better in the 2nd round. 

NAMBA Momoko (Okayama Yunogo Belle U-15)
As many seventh graders (first year students in junior high school) started the game, we were nervous and failed to perform as we wanted. Despite our strength, getting through from the wings, we lacked the stamina to run quickly towards the goal. We stayed vocal, saying “let’s stay calm.” We knew we will play better if we relaxed. After striking the opener, I think we displayed our genuine strength.

Also, graduates from last year, who felt frustrated in the previous championship, sent us encouragement prior to the game. I believe everyone’s wishes brought us the good result.

MUNEKATA Satoko, Coach (Hokkaido Lira Consadole)
It was a shame that we lost. It’s even more regrettable that we could not perform as well as we planned to. Although we had scoring chances in the first half, we couldn’t find the back of the net. As a result, we struggled to play against a formidable opponent. In terms of defence, we relied on individual players, rather than playing as a team, which ate up our stamina. However, the players achieved their aim to a certain extent, learning what they could do in the first half. I believe a little difference draws a line between a victory and a loss. So it’s up to us to close the gap.

SAITO Nanaka (Hokkaido Lira Consadole)
As we were newcomers in this championship, we aimed to play competitively and earn our first victory. However, I’m disappointed that we lost the game, conceding four goals. In the first half, I believe that we were able to switch between defence and attack very well. Unfortunately, it didn’t last for long. I learned there are many players, who are also junior high school students, but much stronger than us. In addition, many national level teams can change speed in attack with much more stamina. We needed to refresh our minds after conceding goals and play without feeling down until the final whistle. 

Other Matches

Cerezo Osaka Sakai Girls (Kansai 1/Osaka)  7-0 (4-0, 3-0)  NJSS (Kyushu 3/Nagasaki)
Aosaki S.C. Hanako Clover's (Chugoku 2/Hiroshima)  0-4 (0-3, 0-1)  JEF UNITED ICHIHARA CHIBA LADIES U-15 (Kanto 2/Chiba)
NGU NAGOYA FC LADIES (Tokai 3/Aichi)  0-0 (0-0, 0-0, PSO3-1)  SHIRAOKA SCL (Kanto 4/Saitama)
FC Miyagi (Tohoku 1/Miyagi)  0-5 (0-2, 0-3)  Nippon TV Menina Serias (Kanto 7/Tokyo)
Fujieda Junshin SC Junior Youth Blue (Tokai 2/Shizuoka)  4-1 (2-1, 2-0)  Club FIELDS LINDA (Hokkaido 1/Hokkaido)
INAC KOBE LEONESSA U-15 (Kansai 2/Hyogo)  4-2 (2-1, 2-1)  Kusunoki Club Ladies (Tokai 5/Mie)
Dream Sprea FC Miyazaki (Kyushu 4/Miyazaki)  0-6 (0-3, 0-3)  Urawa Reds Ladies Junior Youth (Kanto 1/Saitama)

The previous champion, Cerezo Osaka Sakai Girls, won a sweeping victory against NJSS with seven goals. The team will meet JEF UNITED ICHIHARA CHIBA LADIES U-15 in the 2nd Round on 25 July.

The game between NGU NAGOYA FC LADIES and SHIRAOKA SCL stayed competitive and went to penalties. NAGOYA won the match with three successful kicks. 

INAC KOBE U-15, who are among the new faces in the championship, scored four goals starting with MORI Fumika’s opener, and earned their first victory in the championship.

Nippon TV Menina Serias, Fujieda Junshin SC Junior Youth Blue, and Urawa Reds Ladies Junior Youth, who have won the championship before, advanced to the 2nd Round.

JFA-TV (Japanese version only)

The 21st All Japan Youth (U-15) Women's Championship

23 July 2016 - 30 July 2016
J-GREEN Sakai (Sakai/Osaka)
More information