The Prince Takamado Trophy JFA 32nd U-15 Japan Football Championship kicked off on Saturday 12 December. On the first day, 15 fixtures took place at Gunma and Osaka.

Pick-up Match1

Nissho Gakuen Junior High School 2-1 (1-1, 1-0) Tokyu S Reyes FC U-15

The match between Nissho Gakuen Junior High School (Kyushu3/Miyazaki) and Tokyu S Reyes FC U-15 (Kanto8/Kanagawa) saw early action. In the eighth minute, Nissho Gakuen’s FUJIMOTO Akito converted a FK with a header to give the Miyazaki side an early lead. With momentum on their side, Nissho Gakuen applied more pressure upfront to dominate their opponent. However, midway through the first half, Reyes gradually found their composure, as they started to utilise the width of the field to break down the Nissho Gakuen defence. Their approach turned out to be effective, as YAMAWAKI Kanta scored the equaliser just before halftime, bringing back the two sides on equal terms. 。

The second half saw Tokyu S Reyes controlling the match, as they utilised more through balls to allow their second half substitute, MOTOKI Minato to penetrate the open space and gain more momentum. However, despite their dominance, the Kanagawa side struggled to create shooting opportunities. With time running out, it was Nissho Gakuen who broke the silence in the 79th minute, as KAJIWARA Soichiro converted a loose ball following a goalmouth scramble, sending the Kyushu side into the second round.

Pick-up Match2

FC Lavida 2-1 (2-0, 0-1) Uji FC Junior Youth

The opening goal in the match between FC Lavida (Kanto1/Saitama) and Uji FC Junior Youth (Kansai5/Kyoto) came from the very first set-piece of the match. In the third minute, Lavida’s ISHIKAWA Hotaka struck a header off a CK delivered by TSUCHIYA Hyuga to score the opener. The duo connected again to double the lead for Lavida, as they scored from another CK in the 25th minute.

With momentum on their side, Lavida added more layers to their offence by sending their fullbacks up the line and defensive midfielders up the field. However, Uji FC maintained their focus to deny the attacks and initiated counterattacks through long balls delivered from their defence line. One of their counterattacks induced a PK, which was converted by SHIRAKI Ryu to cut the team’s deficit in half. Uji FC came close to equalising the match, when MATSUDA Shoma struck a header that almost captured the target, but fell short from finding the net, as FC Lavida advanced to the second round.

Coaches and Players' Comments

TANOUE Ryoma (Nissho Gakuen Junior High School)
We entered today’s match with the intention to focus on the results rather than the process. As one of the two junior high school teams entering this tournament, we wanted to showcase a solid performance in both offence and defence. We worked hard to repeat our team’s success from two years ago. We will continue to give our best in the second round so that we can return to Miyazaki with a smile.

MIYAJIMA Suguru, Coach (Tokyu S Reyes FC U-15)
Although we looked nervous, there were times where we were able to showcase our usual performance. However, it took too long for us to settled down, and we simply didn’t have the quality to do well at the national stage. We gave our best efforts to prepare for this tournament and we were able to experience great success at the Kanto qualifiers. Our players were starting share a mutual vision in offence, but our opponent’s defence had the upper hand against us. All and all, the fact that we were able to reach the national stage gave our players a wonderful learning experience.

TSUCHIYA Hyuga (FC Lavida)
We have always struggled in the early minutes of the match, but today we were able to play with great intensity from the beginning. We were able to score from CKs, which is one of our strong points. We started to lose possession of the ball more often in the second half, allowing our opponent to gain momentum. Although our overall performance was not so great, it was great that we were able to hold onto our lead. We have always worked hard in are training sessions and we are committed to win each match. We are aiming to win the national title in our first tournament appearance.

TORIYA Yoshinori, Coach (Uji FC Junior Youth)
Our players are very dedicated to the team, so I was planning on utilising our core players in the second half to change the dynamics of the match. It was great to see our side score back a goal, but we needed one more goal. We almost gave up in the first half, because our opponent was so strong, but we kept fighting on behalf of the 52 senior players, who would be able to watch our match once we reach the third round. This year’s team was very immature at first, but they gradually learned how to play for the team. They worked hard and manged to change themselves, ultimately reaching this national tournament. FC Lavida certainly proved that they are the number one team in Kanto, and I hope our kids will be able to play against them again at the national stage once they reach the high school category.

Prince Takamado Trophy JFA 32nd U-15 Japan Football Championship

Tournament duration: Sat. 12 - Mon. 28 December 2020

Tournament Information