U-18 Japan National Team Panda Cup 2015 League match 3rd vs. U-18 Slovakia National Team
2015-6-28 (Sun.) -16:00   Playing Time: 90min (45min. x 2)
Shuangliu Sports Centre Stadium (Chengdu, China)

U-18 Japan National Team   2-1 (1st 2-0、2nd 0-1)   U-18 Slovakia National Team

Score
17'   OGAWA Koki (Japan)
20'   OGAWA Koki (Japan)
68'   Goal against (PK) (Slovakia)

Line-ups
GK:  HIROSUE Riku
DF:  FUJITANI So, NODA Hiroki, MACHIDA Koki, FUNAKI Kakeru
MF:  IWASAKI Yuto, SASAKI Takumi, NAGANUMA Yoichi, KUBOTA Kazune
FW: SUGIMORI Koki, OGAWA Koki

Substitutes
GK: KOJIMA Ryosuke
DF: YANAGI Takahiro, TOMIYASU Takehiro, URATA Itsuki
MF: MORISHIMA Tsukasa, SUZUKI Tokuma
FW: ICHIMI Kazunari, KISHIMOTO Takeru

Non-registered Member
(Suspension, injury, etc.)
MF:  KUNIMOTO Takahiro

HT  KUBOTA Kazune → MORISHIMA Tsukasa
68'  SUGIMORI Koki → ICHIMI Kazunari
68'  NAGANUMA Yoichi → SUZUKI Tokuma
86'  OGAWA Koki → KISHIMOTO Takeru
90+3'  FUNAKI Kakeru → URATA Itsuki
90+3'  FUJITANI So → TOMIYASU Takehiro

Yellow Card/Red Card
Fujitani (illegal charge)

Match Report

The last match at the Panda Cup was against U-18 Slovakia National Team.

In the match where the winner would also win the championship, Slovakia kept their back line low, looking for counter-attacks, while Japan moved the ball around all over the pitch to get closer to the Slovakia goal. In the 17th minute, after picking up the ball near the centre circle, Japan fed it to SASAKI Takumi up front and Sasaki gave it to OGAWA Koki, who composedly converted the opportunity to open the scoring. 

In the 20th minute, NAGANUMA Yoichi sent a long feed from the midfield to the space behind Slovakia back line, which reached Ogawa again. Ogawa beautifully put it up over the goalkeeper’s head and to the net. Japan finished the first half with a two-goal lead. 

Japan kept dominating the possession in the second half and went on attacks to extend the lead. While they struggled to complete them with a goal, in the 68th minute Japan gave away a penalty kick by committing a careless foul. Slovakia took advantage of it to make the scoring 2-1. 

Japan made some more mistakes after that, but still maintained the overall dominance and kept their offence going. The match eventually ended without any more goal scored, which gave Japan the third straight win and the Panda Cup title. 

Ogawa with five goals was awarded the scoring title, while Sasaki received the MVP honour.

Players' Comments 

MACHIDA Koki (Kashima Antlers Youth)
We had only one day off for today’s match, just like the qualifiers in October. We were less active than we were in the first and second match. But I am glad that we won this match and the title. 

On the other hand, we still have many things to improve both offensively and defensively and both as a team and as an individual. We want to take that fact positively, go back to each club and keep correcting them to step up to the next level.

SUGIMORI Koki (Nagoya Grampus U18)
It was the first international tournament since the one in Russia (the 27th Valentin Granatkin Memorial International Football Tournament). We stuck to our goal of getting good results. Of course there were some things for us to look back at and correct, but winning three matches was a good result of us playing together until the end. 

As a forward, I personally want to keep pursuing hungrily how many goals I get, so I go back to my team and keep working hard. I want to thank everybody for supporting us. 

SUZUKI Tokuma (University of Tsukuba)
I am very thankful for this opportunity to join the team for this trip. Also winning the championship made me happy. I don’t have many chances to play against foreign teams, so this trip has been very meaningful. 

I could very closely feel the physical intensity and the different football cultures, and that reminded me of the fact that I still lack so many things as a player. I will take this experience as my motivation, keep working with my club, and someday challenge international players again. Thank you so much for supporting us. 

FUNAKI Sho (Cerezo Osaka U-18)
In this trip, our goal has been playing altogether including those on the bench as one united team, and I am so happy to be able to get the title on the last day. But our individual skill level still needs improvement, so after I go back to my team, I want to work hard to be called up to the national team again. 

ICHIMI Kazunari (Otsu High School)
The reason why we could win three straight matches and the championship was that we stayed together as a team even in this heated weather. I found my weakness during this trip, so I will work hard to correct them and to get called up again.

IWASAKI Yuto (Kyoto Tachibana High School)
I am very happy to be able to finish this tournament with the championship. This tournament was held with only one day between matches just like the qualifiers in October, so it has been a good preparation for the qualifiers. And there we left a good result, too, so it was great. 

As an individual player, I found what I need to work on, so I will improve those with my club, try hard to get selected again, and show everybody a better version of me.

Schedule

Note: The schedule is subject to change due to the team condition, the weather, etc.

Panda Cup 2015
Four coutries of China, Kyrgyz Republic, Slovakia and Japan will play a round-robin.

Future Schedule