The Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2022 Play-Off took place on Sunday 11 December, with six second-round fixtures played in Hiroshima, to decide the six teams that will be promoted to the Premier League from the 2023 season.

Featured Match 1

Shohei High School 2-0 (1-0, 1-0) Hamamatsu Kaiseikan High School

The match between Shohei High School (Kanto 1/Saitama) and Hamamatsu Kaiseikan High School (Tokai 1/Shizuoka) held at Hiroshima Koiki Park Football Stadium saw Shohei take the initiative. As coach FUJISHIMA Takayuki later reflected, “Kaiseikan played really great. They were unmatched in their ability to control the ball in confined spaces and win duels,” Shohei struggled against the collective pressure applied by Hamamatsu Kaiseikan in the early minutes, but gradually took control of the match by attacking the flanks and through the runs made by ODA Kohei (#9).

The opening goal came in the 28th minute, when OSA Junki (#8) played a pass-and-go with SHINODA Tsubasa (#11) before firing a shot into the net to give Shohei the lead, as the midfielder commented, “It is important to connect the ball in midfield, but I thought I can change the rhythm with my dribbling skills.”

Despite conceding a close opportunity to Hamamatsu Kaiseikan’s SUGAWARA Taichi (#23) at the start of the second half, led by TSUKUI Keisuke (#4) and ISHIKAWA Hotaka (#5), Shohei displayed great composure to keep the opposing offence at bay. In the 56th minute, TSUCHIYA Hyuga (#7) assisted the goal of OTANI Minato (#18) to double the lead, as Shohei won the match 2-0 to earn their first promotion to the Premier League.

Featured Match 2

Cerezo Osaka U-18 1-2 (1-1, 0-1) Kamimura Gakuen High School

In the match between Cerezo Osaka U-18 (WEST/Osaka) and Kamimura Gakuen High School (Kyushu1/Kagoshima), Cerezo Osaka opened the action in the 10th minute, when KONOMI Kaito (#13) broke through the middle to score the opening goal. The team captain of Kamimura Gakuen, OSAKO Rui (#14), said, “This was a match we couldn't afford to lose, so we all tried to forget about the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament for one day and concentrate on this match,” despite conceding the opening goal. “We were being overpowered, so I was determined to take advantage of the first opportunity presented to me,” said midfielder YOSHINAGA Yumeki (#16), who scored the equaliser in the 43rd minute as Kamimura Gakuen gradually found their rhythm as they adapted to Cerezo Osaka's pace.

The second half saw Kamimura Gakuen applying aggressive pressure from the frontline to suppress the Osaka side. NAWATA Gaku (#10) gained possession of the ball in the opposing end to strike a shot in the 61st minute, but his attempt was saved by the Cerezo goalkeeper HARUNA Ryusei (#21). The pivotal moment arrived in the 65th minute when FUKUDA Shio (#13) forced a turnover in front of the Cerezo goal and capitalised on the opportunity to put Kamimura Gakuen ahead. With their defence holding off the final surge displayed by Cerezo Osaka, Kamimura Gakuen earned their first ever promotion to the Premiere League.

As results of the second round, Funabashi Municipal High School (EAST/Chiba) sustained their seat in the Premier League, while Asahikawa-Jitsugyo High School (Hokkaido 1), Shoshi High School (Tohoku 1/Fukushima), Yonago Kita High School (Chugoku 1/Tottori), Shohei High School, and Kamimura Gakuen earned their promotion to the Premier League.

Coaches and Players' Comments

DF #4 TSUKUI Keisuke (Shohei High School)
We struggled to adjust to the aggressive pressure applied by our opponents at first, but each player demonstrated their individual skills to make adjustments in the second half. The fact that we were able to score early in the match really helped us maintain our composure. I was focused on containing their #17 because I knew he was a very athletic player. We didn’t allow any close opportunities, so I believe our defence earned this victory.

AOSHIMA Fumiaki, Coach (Hamamatsu Kaiseikan High School)
The first goal resulted from our inability to address the problems we noticed during our league games. I'm glad we were able to acknowledge it prior to the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament because it's something our rivals will try to take advantage of. This game served as a timely reminder that in order to compete in the Premier League, we must improve our ball possession techniques. We witnessed numerous plays in the second half where we lost control of the ball, so we need to reconsider how we want to hold the ball and create opportunities.

DF #4 KAWAI Hinata (Cerezo Osaka U-18)
We are sorry to lose our spot in the Premier League, which was left to us by our upperclassmen. At the same time, I regret that we couldn’t provide that stage for our juniors. It was great that we were able to win the summer tournament, but we went into a slump afterwards. Although we managed to win our final match of the season to earn our spot into this playoff, but it doesn’t mean anything if we lose here. I hope our juniors can get the team back into the Premier League.

MF #14 OSAKO Rui (Kamimura Gakuen High School)
In the first half, we had trouble responding to our opponent's strategy, but in the second, we decided to take more chances in our pursuit of the ball. I'm pleased to have exerted enough pressure to assist the team in scoring those goals. In the second half, our coach instructed us to exert more pressure, so we were all determined to run as hard as we could. Technically speaking, our opponent may have been superior, but we were more committed to winning the match. I believe that we were able to play with confidence because we overcame a year of demanding physical training.

Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2022 Play-Off

Tournament Dates: Fri. 9 & Sun. 11 December 2022

Tournament Information