The third sec. of the Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2022 WEST took place on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 April. At Cerezo Sports Park Maishima, Cerezo Osaka U-18 (Osaka) squared off against Vissel Kobe U-18 (Hyogo).

Featured Match

Cerezo Osaka U-18 5-2 (3-2, 2-0) Vissel Kobe U-18

Playing in their first home match of the season, the Cerezo side sought for their first win, but it was Kobe who took the initiative, opening the score with the goal of MORITA Ouga (#39) in the third minute. Despite conceding the lead, C. Osaka regained their composure and started to control the ball possession as the match progressed, In the 24th minute, an opportunity was created through the centre, which allowed KINOSHITA Shinnosuke (#11) to score the equaliser. With momentum on their side, C. Osaka took the lead in the 31st minute, when the ball was connected through SUETANI Seigo (#19) and NISHIKAWA Hiroki (#23), before it was crossed to the centre to set up the goal of Kinoshita.

The visitors responded in the 34th minute, when MURAI Seita (#3) responded to the pass of NAGASAWA Mikaze (#10) to level the match once again, but C. Osaka regained their lead from a corner kick just two minutes later, when KAWAI Hinata (#5) converted the loose ball. “We were carried away by the momentum of our opponents at the beginning, but once we started connecting the passes, we were able to find our rhythm and score goals,” said Suetani after the match.

C. Osaka’s attack continued unabated in the second half. In the 46th minute, Kinoshita collected the ball around the halfway line, dribbled all the way to the opposing goal, and struck a shot that pierced the right-hand corner, as the striker later reflected, “I knew I had support around me, but I was determined to attack the goal on my own.”

After extending the lead to two-goals and with Kobe starting to show signs of fatigue, C. Osaka began to create more opportunities in the attacking third. Their defence also helped the offence from behind, as centre back SHIRAHAMA Sojiro (#39) reflected, “The two centre-backs were conscious of managing the risks so that our offence can continue to press forward.” Kobe came close to scoring a goal in the 63rd minute, when Murai struck a shot from distance, but his attempt was denied by the woodwork.

With SARARA Ritsuki (#12) adding another goal in the 69th minute, C. Osaka earned their first win of the season.

Coaches and Players' Comments

SHIMAOKA Kenta, Coach (Cerezo Osaka U-18)
We entered the match poorly, and it felt like we were under a lot of pressure and tension that we didn’t need to be under. We were forcing the passes while we didn’t have full control of the ball, and both goals were conceded due to our own mistakes. However, it was great to see our players make the adjustments on the pitch. There are still many occasions where we are overwhelmed by our opponents, but we have been able to move the ball forward and score goals when things our going our way. Today's match saw more positives than negatives.

DF #5 KAWAI Hinata (Cerezo Osaka U-18)
We struggled against our opponent’s pressure in the early minutes but managed to recover after going back to the basics. Although we were able to win today, we are not satisfied with our overall performance. There is still room for improvement, so we hope to showcase a better performance next week. We need to perfect our defence, and despite scoring five goals, we still could have scored more goals, so we hope to raise the quality of our plays in the final third.

ABE Yuta, Coach (Vissel Kobe U-18)
We conceded too many goals today because we were too light in defence. The opponents easily exploited the space behind our defence line and were unable to win duels. When the score line opened up, a lot of things became more difficult, and we became impatient in offence. We were forcing long balls, which is the opposite of our football style, which is to use the width of the field to exploit the opponent's shortcomings. We must first stabilise our defence before we talk about our offence. We will try to make the most of this experience to improve ourselves ahead of our next fixture.

MF #10 NAGASAWA Mikaze (Vissel Kobe U-18)
The fact that we conceded five goals is a big deal, but we must first raise the intensity level of our daily trainings in order to improve our defence as a team. We lost as a team, so we must use this as a learning experience to improve as a team. Personally, I didn't want to lose the same way again. We must all try to make the most of this experience, so that we will not make the same mistake again.

Results of other matches

Gamba Osaka Youth Postponed Higashi Fukuoka High School
Nagoya Grampus U-18 3-4 (2-2, 1-2) Jubilo Iwata U-18
Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC Youth 1-3 (0-0, 1-3) Shizuoka Gakuen High School
Sagan Tosu U-18 3-0 (0-0, 3-0) Ozu High School
Shimizu S-Pulse Youth 5-4 (3-3, 2-1) Riseisha High School

Thanks to the brace of HARADA Hikaru (#11), Jubilo Iwata U-18 (Shizuoka) defeated Nagoya Grampus U-18 (Aichi), who were seeking for their third consecutive victory. Led by the goal of TERAURA Tsurugi (#11), Shizuoka Gakuen High School (Shizuoka) scored three goals to win over the defending champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC Youth (Hiroshima). Sagan Tosu U-18 (Saga) welcomed Ozu High School (Kumamoto) to their home field, where they rallied late to score three goals to register their second win of the season. In a hard-fought match between Shimizu S-Pulse Youth (Shizuoka) and Riseisha High School (Osaka), Shimizu came out on top 5-4. The fixture between Gamba Osaka Youth (Osaka) and Higashi Fukuoka High School (Fukuoka) was postponed. Alternative dates will be announced as soon as they are decided.

Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2022

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

League Information