Sunday 22 July saw the second match day of the JFA 23rd U-15 Japan Women's Football Championship, where the first round action continued as eight matches took place to determine the 16 teams advancing into the second round.

Pick-up Match

Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Junior High School FC 0-3 (0-0, 0-3) Shiraoka SCL

The first match between Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Junior High School FC (Kyushu5/Fukuoka) and Shiraoka SCL (Kanto5/Saitama) saw great action from the early minutes. The first chance went to Fukuoka Jo Gakuin as Coach YAMAMOTO Yu described their approach, “We intended to utilise the space behind the opposing defenders in the first five minutes of the match to gain momentum. Once we find our rhythm, we were going to penetrate with short passes.” In the fifth minute, OISHI Saki forced a turnover deep in the Shiraoka territory, combining with her teammates, she attempted a shot at goal, but here effort could not hit the target. Then the match saw Shiraoka initiate an attack from a forced turnover, sending the ball behind the Fukuoka defenders to penetrate the space behind them. Shiraoka’s team captain MOTOYOSHI Suzu praised her teammate NAKAGAKI Makoto as “A player with great speed and the ability to strike a shot with one step,” who broke through to create a one-on-one situation against the goalkeeper in the sixth minute, but she failed to trigger a shot in this opportunity.

The two teams showcased an equal bout from then on, but the Fukuoka side suffered a huge blow when their team captain ARIYOSHI Aimi was forced to leave the pitch to be treated for her injury during the first half. Shiraoka’s Nakagaki made numbers of great runs but Fukuoka’s goalkeeper NISHIJIMA Maaya made superb saves to keep the match scoreless. However, the match saw Fukuoka being caught off guard numerous times in the second half. Shiraoka’s Coach KOJIMA Tetsuhiro later mentioned, “Our opponents were busy taking care of our right flank, so the opposite side was wide open.” In the 32nd minute, SUNAGAWA Ririka responded to a through ball delivered by KIMURA Runa, as she scored the opening goal with a sliding effort. In the 50th minute, Nagaki converted the vertical pass delivered by SAKURAi Madoka to extend their lead to two goals. Shiraoka sealed the deal in the closing minutes of the match, as Sunagawa marked her second goal in the 57th minute, giving her side a sweeping 3-0 victory to advance to the second round.

Coaches' and Players' Comments

YAMAMOTO Yu, Coach (Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Junior High School FC)
Until last year, we had the older players and staffs leading the team, but from this tournament our players showed their independence to lead their own path. I told my players to leave everything on the field, but with their team captain (Ariyoshi Aimi) leaving the match with an injury, it didn’t go as we have planned. In order for us to win at the national level, we must be able to perform the way we usually do, even at this stage. The players gave everything they’ve got from the training sessions, and that’s why they are looking so disappointed. We must revaluate the way we train as well as our daily routine, so that we can come back to this stage and win the match next time.

MF #10 ARIYOSHI Aimi (Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Junior High School FC)
We had our chances to score the goal when I was on the pitch, but we couldn’t capitalise on our opportunities. Once I subbed out due to injury, I could only watch my teammates working hard on the pitch. It is very disappointing because if I was still on the pitch I think we would have won the match. Heading into this tournament we focused on our team unity and vitality through our training sessions. It is very regretful that we are leaving the tournament in this fashion. I must work on the tasks that were evident during this match, such as the quality of my plays after I dribbled past the opponents.

KOJIMA Tetsuhiro, Coach (SHIRAOKA SCL)
We failed to convert our chances during the first half which created a negative atmosphere. Although we managed to create opportunities while our opponents were playing with 10 players, if they were in their best conditions, this match would’ve been a tougher match. This year’s players have watched the upper age groups play in this tournament for the past two years. I have told them that this is their opportunity to express what they have watched, felt and trained over the years. However, I needed to do a better job of allowing them to play up to their full potential. We have also found what we need to work one. The players were very stressed out ahead of this match, so I hope this win allows them to relax a bit.

MF #48 MOTOYOSHI Suzu (SHIRAOKA SCL)
With this match being the first match of the tournament, we were very nervous, but our coach told us that “It is important to admit that you are nervous. The tense feeling can induce mistakes, but at the same time it may lead to good plays,” and it helped us relax ahead of the match. We have worked hard for the past three years for this tournament, even under scorching weathers we trained hard as if we were playing a real match. I am glad we gained this result, but this is not the end. Two years ago we lost in the first round. Last year we lost in the second round. We have gradually made progress, so we hope to improve on our last year’s result.

Results of other matches

Urawa Red Diamonds Junior Youth (Kanto2/Saitama) 4-0 (3-0, 1-0) FC Vitoria (Kansai3/Osaka)
Tochigi Soccer Club Ladies (Kanto4/Tochigi) 1-1 (0-0, 1-1, PK4-3) Mynavi Vegalta Sendai Ladies (Tohoku1/Miyagi)
Tokoha Gakuen Tachibana Junior High School Women's Soccer Club (Tokai3/Shizuoka) 4-1 (2-0, 2-1) Club Fields Linda (Hokkaido1)
JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies U-15 (Kanto7/Chiba) 1-0 (0-0, 1-0) RESC GIRLS U-15 (Kansai1/Osaka)
Hioki Seagulls FC (Kyushu4/Kagoshima) 1-2 (1-1, 0-1) ANGEVIOLET BINGO (Chugoku1/Hiroshima)
Kumamoto United SC Flora (Kyushu2/Kumamoto) 2-1 (2-0, 0-1) Ehime FC Ladies MIKAN (Shikoku2/Ehime)
Yokosuka Seagulls MEG (Kanto9/Kanagawa) 0-3 (0-2, 0-1) JFA Academy Fukushima (Tokai1/Shizuoka)

The defending champions Urawa started off with a brilliant first round as they scored four goals following the goal scored by SHINZAWA Sora in the second minute of the match. The equally fought battle against Tochigi and Sendai ended in a penalty shootout, where Tochigi took the upper hand to advance through to the second round. Tokoha Junior Highschool’s offence shined in the match against Linda, as they converted four goals to win the match. The exciting match between Chiba and RESC was decided by the 51st minute goal scored by Chiba’s YAMASAKI Ayano. After reaching the 52nd minute mark with a tied score of 1-1, BINGO’s UMEZU Mao capitalised on the penalty kick she earned herself to give her side their first every win in this tournament. Kumamoto secured their two goal lead they’ve earned in the frist half to defeat Ehime. Academy Fukushima won their match with the help of HAYASHI Manaka’s brace. The eight matches of the second round is scheduled to take place on Monday 23 July.

The JFA 23rd U-15 Japan Women's Football Championship

Tournament Dates: Sat. 21 - Sat. 28 July 2018
Tournament Venue: J-GREEN Sakai (Sakai, Osaka)
Tournament Information