Pick Up Match

Shimizu S-Pulse Youth　0-2（1st 0-0、2nd 0-2）　Ichiritsu Funabashi High School

Shimizu S-pulse Youth　0-2 (1st 0-0, 2nd 0-2)　Ichiritsu Funabashi High School
Shimizu S-Pulse Youth (Shizuoka), scoring more than goals in all the games so far and Ichiritsu Funabashi High School (Chiba), accumulating points through solid defense. Two teams in different style held close game in the rain sometimes pouring.
It was a tight game from the early stage. Shimizu was linking short passes and trying to find a gap between defense players, Ichiritsu Funabashi and simply pass the ball to front line after gaining the ball. Forward player Isono Takaaki takes a while and wait and let their side let mid-fielders moving forward. But the first half ended scoreless after both team lacking decisive shot in front of the goal.

Shimizu was the side who took control first of the game in the second half. Not only passing work but also making series of dribbling run by attackers, Mizutani Takuma and Nishizawa Kenta, giving variation to attacking options and pushing Ichiritsu Funabashi to their side of the pitch. Shimizu made an approach to the goal by various attacking style including Miyamoto Kota fired middle shoot from back line. But Ichiritsu Funabashi solidly kept ball out of goal mouth as defender Fujii Taku said “It should be all right if we can bounce back in the middle.” Goal keepter Shimura Kou made saves for not allowing opener.

Overcoming the series of attack, Ichiritsu Funabashi started to recover the momentum and picking up the speed after bringing on substitution. In the 71st minute, they counter-attacked and running into Shmizu’s pitch and substitution Yamaura Ken flipped the ball into the net for the opener. Ichiritsu Funabashi sticked to the tactics of bringing the ball to the higher position after acquiring the ball. Finishing the attack with shoot which makes time for their defense to realigning the formation for reducing the risk of conceding goal. Yamura scored second for a cross from right flank. Following this, Ichiritsu Funabashi kept their concentration and contained Shimizu S-Pulse allowing no goal acquiring three points.

Comments

Oenoki Katsumi, Head Coach (Shimizu S-pulse Youth)
In the beginning of the first half, Forward Ohno Ryoma was injured and forced to sideline but that’s something you can’t avoid in a football, we can’t win by scoring goal even in the situation like this. I was sorry about we couldn’t score in the early part of the second half when we are dominating the game. Many things to improve for defense. We are not the team who can hang on at difficult time, needs to brush up judgment skill at time of disadvantage. After playing today’s match, I realized again there is no team in Premier League for an easy victory. It is important how we can improve ourselves from here.

YAMAKAWA Takumi (Shimizu S-pulse Youth)
Not successfully scoring in many chances, we ended up in conceding goal out of few chances. I realized the defense should be getting ready still while in offensive. As Shimizu has been conceding many goals so far, I wanted to keep ourselves for not allowing goal in the low-scoring game like today. I think we should be much flexible to just clear the ball when the other side’s pressure is high. Learning from this game, we have to build up strength to keep solid defense in tight game, we just go back and hold training for the next game.

Asaoka Ryuzo, Head Coach（Ichiritsu Funabashi High School）
The winning factor was to understand our strength and played very persistently. In another words, it may be that the squad shared common goal of “stick to this (defensive) tactics”. Keeping the solid defense not allowing any goal in the beginning of the second half was another winning factor. Every player never forget about hard work and keep them scoreless, it was good we could launch attacking by bringing on substitution halfway past the second half. The other side, confident of their offense, was coming forward. I was expecting to get an opportunity when the other side is making effort but frustrated for scoring no goal. This was encouraging experience for us in managing to win for playing this tactic.

YAMURA Ken (Ichiritsu Funabashi High School)
All I cared about is scoring goal once I get to the pitch. Talking about the first goal, I was targeting on the course it went well and the second goal found the net because I kept on running. For the second goal, I was tired because we were in defense for long time but “I was going to go forward once the squad switches to offensive mode” and I ran to the front of the goal at full speed. Realizing I’m not a skillful player, the goal was the product of me just running hard. I was happy about the goal but I found something to improve in defense and have to brush up basic skills.

Other Results

Consadole SapporoU-18　0-0 (1st 0-0, 2nd 0-0)　Mitsubishi Yowa SC Youth
Aomori Yamada High School　0-2 (1st 0-1, 2nd 0-1)　Kashiwa Reysol U-18
Ryutsukeizaidai Kashiwa　1-3 (1st 0-0, 2nd 1-3) JFA Academy Fukushima
Kashima Antlers Youth　3-1 (1st 1-0, 2nd 2-1) Tokyo Verdy Youth

The game between Consadole SapporoU-18 (Hokkaido) and Mitsubishi Yowa SC Youth (Tokyo) ended in draw sharing one point. Kashiwa Reysol U-18 (Chiba) started the game luckily scoring opener by Ito Tatsuya in the 4th minute and Ukita Kensei added second goal in the second half. Chasing up first-place Shimizu S-Pulse.
Ryutsukeizaidai Kashiwa (Chiba) was defeated by JFA Academy Fukushima (Shizuoka) in the home ground and first straight loss of this season. Academy Fukushima keeping no loss record after break period. Kashima Antlers Youth (Ibaraki) beat Tokyo Verdy Youth (Tokyo) by Hirato Taiki and Shikama Yuki’s goals for second victory of the season.