The Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2022 is scheduled to kick-off on 2 April. Here we interviewed coach HIRANO Naoki of Riseisha High School (Osaka), who were promoted to the Premier league for the first time since 2015, and coach TAKADA Tetsuya of Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC Youth (Hiroshima), last year’s WEST Champions, to hear their reflections on last year and their ambitions for this year's league competition.

○This interview was conducted online on 22 March 2022.

――What are your impressions of the Premier League?

HIRANO　I have the impression that high-level matches are being played every weekend. From our point of view, it is like playing in a national tournament every weekend, which is something we can only gain from. As a coach involved in the development age group, one of my goals is to develop as many national team players as possible. The last time we participated, HAYASHI Daichi (currently plays for Sint-Truidense VV/Belgium) was with us, and then he went on to compete in the Tokyo Olympics before signing with a club overseas. Considering this, I am looking forward to seeing what kind of players will emerge this time.

TAKADA　As coach Hirano said, it is not an easy league. We want to look ahead, but we must first take care of the match in front of us. Having played in the Premier League with Nagoya Grampus U-18 and Hiroshima, I have noticed that many teams in the WEST tend to play to their strengths. There will be times when the matches become bland, but we're going to take action and try to showcase our football style to the best of our ability, rather than trying to match the opposition.

――Last year, Hiroshima won the title of the WEST. What kind of year was it?

TAKADA　Last year, despite the Corona pandemic, we were able to play 18 matches against very distinctive teams in the Premier League, which was a big deal. We entered the season hoping to win, so I am happy that we were able to do so. It was also good that both players and staff were able to move forward together, while feeling the joy of being able to play football. We have been able to improve on the issues that came up in each match, which has led to good results. It was a year in which we could feel the growth of the players in each match.

――Meanwhile, Riseisha High School will be joining the Premier League for the first time since 2015.

HIRANO　Last time I felt that we respected our opponents too much. Especially in the first half of the season, we were too focused on not conceding goals, which made it difficult to bring out the best in our players. So, this year, we want to try to prevent our opponents from showing their strengths in order to show ours.

――What are your impressions of each other's teams?

TAKADA　When I faced them in 2015, during my time as coach of Nagoya, I had the impression that we barely managed to win because of the talents of Hayashi, TANAKA Shunta (currently plays for Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo) and others. They are loaded with talented players, including those who are selected into the national team, so I will be watching the footage of their first match and give it a lot of thought.

HIRANO　I watched the footage of the Sanix Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament final. More video footages are available for matches played by stronger teams, so we feel we have the advantage in that aspect. Especially after coach Takada took over, I have the impression that they are a team that will apply aggressive pressure from their frontline. They have played an intense match with Aomori Yamada (at the Premier League 2021 EAST vs WEST), so we are looking forward to play against them.

――Do you have set goals within the team?

TAKADA　We are the only team that can repeat as champions, so I'm talking to the players about aiming for that.

HIRANO　As well as participating in the Inter-High School Championships and the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament, we want to remain in the Premier League and continue to provide a competitive environment for the younger players. However, none of the teams are easy opponents to win against, so the players may be a bit fearful, but I'm looking forward for the challenge.

――Finally, please share with us your ambitions for this year's Premier League.

TAKADA　This year, German coach Michael SKIBBE was appointed to lead the club's top team with the aim of building an attack-minded team that is able to win the ball from the attacking third, so that is what we will be emphasising. However, we also need to nurture a sense of flexibility in order to make adjustments according to our opponent. And lastly, we need to function as a team. Of course, it is important to try to win the league, but our mission is also to send players to the pros, so we want to make them aware of these things as we compete.

HIRANO　If these players are to make the Olympic team in five years' time, and eventually the Japan National Team, and beat teams from Europe and South America, they need to be able to pressure from the front and nullify the strengths of their opponents. And that is what we want to prepare them for at this league. Working hard is a given. It is something we wont even talk about in this team. As a coach, I want to look five or ten years down the line and give my players the experience they need in order to keep up with international trends of football.

Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2022

League Duration: Sat. 2 April - Sun. 4 December 2022

League Information