The eighth Sec. of the Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League is about to take place on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June.

EAST

Sixth place Funabashi Municipal High School (Chiba) will face their prefectural rival, Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School (Chiba). The two sides have clashed eight times thus far, with Funabashi Municipal showing their dominance with four wins, three draws, and one loss. After conceding a late equaliser in the match played last week, Shoshi High School (Fukushima) seeks to bounce back at home when they face Omiya Ardija U18 (Saitama).

The only undefeated team in the EAST, Aomori Yamada High School (Aomori), will face the defending champions, Kashima Antlers Youth (Ibaraki). With their offence registering at least a goal in each of their matches played, Aomori Yamada will try to remain atop of the division.

In the match between Kashiwa Reysol U-18 (Chiba) and Urawa Red Diamonds Youth (Saitama), an intriguing battle awaits, as Kashiwa’s defender FUJIMOTO Hayato (#2) will square off against Urawa’s midfielder YAMANAKA Atsuki (#10). This matchup can have a huge impact on the outcome of this match.

The pick-up match of the EAST will feature the “Shizuoka Derby” played by Jubilo Iwata U-18 (Shizuoka) and Shimizu S-Pulse Youth (Shizuoka). While Iwata still remains in the relegation zone, their forward SATO Mitsuaki (#9) has registered goals in two consecutive matches. If their defence can hold up at this derby, they will have a chance to come out of the relegation zone. On the other hand, Shimizu has been kept winless since the fifth Sec., and their key to success will also lie on defence, as the team has conceded the opener in the recent two matches. It will certainly be an interesting fixture to see who claims the victory at the derby match.

WEST

Second place Ozu High School (Kumamoto) will welcome Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C Youth (Hiroshima) at home. Ozu has managed to earn five wins with a one-goal lead, showing their resilience in close matches. After conceding four goals in their previous fixture, Vissel Kobe U-18 (Hyogo) will have to reconstruct their defence when they face Ehime FC U-18 (Ehime). Kobe’s fate will be on the shoulders of their defence line led by HIGASHIDA Masaki (#3).

An exciting matchup between two strikers will feature the match between Gamba Osaka Youth (Osaka) and Kyoto Sanga F.C. U-18 (Kyoto). While Gamba Osaka consists the top two scorers of the league, TOYAMA Shoji (#9) and OTANI Yuto (#18), Kyoto’s KOMIYA Takeru (#11) is also tied at second place. With both teams showing great form in the recent matches, we will certainly be seeing an intense battle. The match between Cerezo Osaka U-18 (Osaka) and Nagoya Grampus U-18 (Aichi) has been rescheduled to Saturday 28 September.

The pickup match of the WEST will be played between the two Fukuoka sides, Avispa Fukuoka U-18 (Fukuoka) and Higashi Fukuoka High School (Fukuoka). Despite their struggles in the early part of the season, Avispa tallied five goals last week to bag a sweeping victory. Their speedy forward, MATSUDA Tomoki (#8) will lead the offence to earn back-to-back wins. Higashi Fukuoka on the other side, saw their defender MOYO Malcolm Tsuyoshi (#32) return from injury, while adding a new talent, NOMURA Kanan (#30), from Sagan Tosu U-18. The two players may play a key role in the upcoming fixture.

EAST Sec. 7 Highlights

WEST Sec. 7 Highlights

Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2019

League Duration: Sat. 6 April - Sun. 8 December 2019

League Information