Pickup Match

JFA Academy Fukushima   1-0 (1st 0-0, 2nd 1-0)   Mitsubishi Yowa SC Youth

The Prince Takamado Trophy U-18 Premier League had EAST’s 18th Sec matches on Sunday 7 December, and JFA Academy Fukushima (Shizuoka) played against Mitsubishi Yowa SC Youth (Tokyo) with their relegation down from the Premier League at stake.

It was Academy Fukushima playing at home that got the early momentum. They fully used the width of the pitch and threatened Mitsubishi Yowa’s goal. In the 7th minute, Kusano Yuki took it by himself and fired a shot while one minute later, Kagayama Taiki tried to put a shot-like cross ball from Takamori Daimu into the goal. Meanwhile Mitsubishi Yowa, who needed a win and more than two points to stay in the Premier League, started showing come-back efforts around 30-minute mark. But their scoring attempts, one by Ito Shun in the 40th and another by Shimoda Yuya in the 44th, could not find the back of the net. The first half finished as the score remained 0-0.

During the half time, Academy Fukushima’s head coach, Nakata Yasuhito, fired up his players saying “Leave no regrets and do everything we can do.” His team kept laying stable defence and fast counter-attacks. Even when Mitsubishi Yowa broke down a flank, Kinjo Justin Toshiki and goalkeeper Nitadori Kota led their defence to protect the box and did not give a room to attack to Mitsubishi Yowa. In the 71st minute, when Academy Fukushima’s Kagayama dashed into the space behind Mitsubishi Yowa’s defence, he was taken down and awarded with a penalty kick. Kagayama himself took advantage of the opportunity and finally got a lead they really wanted. Mitsubishi Yowa, with their back on the wall, moved defender Ikeda Jyuraito up front to join their offence to go all out for one goal. They kept feeding long balls from flanks and from the back, but those attempts made their offence simpler and easier for Academy Fukushima to guard. At last the match heard the final whistle and Academy Fukushima won 1-0, which kept them in the Premier League and relegated Mitsubishi Yowa down to the Prince League.

Head Coaches and Players Comments

NAKATA Yasuhito, Head Coach (JFA Academy Fukushima)
Staying in the Premier League has been our goal for this season, so I am glad that we just did that. Early in the season we struggled, but our players realised our current state at that time and we started playing without worrying too much. So that led to our comeback in the second half of the season. Late in the season, we became more stable and we didn’t get into too big a trouble any more. It has been big that we moved forward by every small step. I am glad that we held our opponents scoreless in this last match of the season as well.

NITADORI Kota (JFA Academy Fukushima)
What I could do for my team in this last match was to keep our opponents scoreless. During the match, I always wanted to show what I had learned for the last six years with this team and how much I appreciated it. With this team I have learned that it’s important to do your very best at every moment. You have to stay positive even when things aren’t going well for you. All those experiences will be my strength after I become professional. I want my younger teammates to remember that we haven’t been a very fancy team but we played hard. And I want them to build their own style on that foundation.

YAMAMOTO Nobuo, Head Coach (Mitsubishi Yowa SC Youth)
It was a must-win match for us, and our game plan was to keep defending and wait for our chance. It went according to that game plan and our players played well. Our offence has been much better compared to last year. Individually, the players who are supposed to score for us actually scored goals for us. But at the same time, in a high level league like this Premier League, we lacked tenaciousness of defending through tough stretches with everyone together. So we will improve that area and will come back here again.

DISARO Akira Silvano (Mitsubishi Yowa SC Youth)
During the half time, we said to each other “All we need to do is to win at the end of the match.” But we should have scored a goal in the first half and put more mental pressure on the opponents. In the second half, our coach told us to calm down, but we rushed too much and started kicking simple long feeds, and that made it easier for our opponents. We want to thank our former teammates who played in the past for giving us this opportunity of playing in the Premier League, and it’s very disappointing that we can’t do the same to the guys who are following us. I will take advantage of this loss and this disappointment after I go to college, and I will keep working hard to do some payback in the pro someday.

Other games results

Shimizu S-pulse Youth　1-2 (1st 0-0, 2nd 1-2)　Kashiwa Reysol U-18
Ryutsukeizaidai Kashiwa　1-2 (1st 0-1, 2nd 1-1)　Tokyo Verdi Youth
Ichiritsu Funabashi High School　2-1 (1st 0-0, 2nd 2-1)　Consadole SapporoU-18
Kashima Antlers Youth　2-1 (1st 2-0, 2nd 0-1)　Aomori Yamada High School

Kashiwa Reysol U-18(Chiba) had victory over Shimizu S-pulse Youth (Shizuoka) with winner by Koga Taiyo. Tokyo Verdi Youth (Tokyo) on winning streak, beat Ryutsukeizaidai Kashiwa (Chiba) for goals by Nakano Masaomi and Misao Kento both of whom will be unofficially promoted to the top team. Consadole SapporoU-18 (Hokkaido) lost to Ichiritsu Funabashi High School (Chiba) but fortunately avoided relegation as ninth-place Mitsubishi Yowa SC Youth (Tokyo) failed to add points. Kashima Antlers Youth (Ibaraki) finished the season in third place after narrowly winning against Aomori Yamada High School (Aomori) thanks to Hirato Taiki’s goal.

The first best goal award for Prince Takamado Trophy Premier League chosen by fans

Twenty clubs in the league chose their own best goal and the best goal award will be decided by the number of video played. Please access to the candidates of best goal.

Please access to the candidates of best goal