The 20th All Japan Youth (U-15) Women’s Championship will be held at J-GREEN Sakai in Sakai, Osaka from Saturday 25 July. There are many Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women’s National Team) players who experienced this championship when they were U-15. This article is about the interview of 3 players from Nippon TV Beleza who played in different teams and have experiences in the championship when they themselves were in the U-15. 

Interviewed by: Tokyo Verdy 1969 Football Club, Inc. 

Players' Interview

ARIYOSHI Saori
IWASHIMIZU Azusa
UETSUJI Yumi
(All of them are current Nippon TV Beleza players) 

Tell us about your memories of the All Japan Women’s Youth (U-15) Championship.

Iwashimizu: I played in the 6th championship as a DF of Nippon TV Menina. I couldn’t get any chance in the first year and then I just missed my second chance due to injury. It was the 3rd year when I could finally experience this championship. This was my first experience in playing in national level matches.

I could be more confident in that opportunity by winning the championship at that time, and that was one of the important times as a player to decide my future. I remember well that I played against Ariyoshi in the final; she was playing for the Kagoshima prefecture Squad team. 

Ariyoshi: I do remember that we played in the final but since we couldn’t have much chance to have the ball, I don’t remember at all what I did in that match! At that time, my position was FW and in the next year I got No. 10 and the team won the championship. 

Uetsuji: I played in the 7th championship as a player of Osaka Squad team and lost in the final against the Kagoshima prefecture Squad team with 2-3. At that time, Golden Goal system was applied and any team which scores first in Extra Time could win the match. At that time, we lost 2 goals in the 1st half and equalised in the 2nd half, but lost when they scored their goal in the 2nd half of Extra Time. 

Ariyoshi: Well, I clearly remember that the goal you (Uetsuji) scored. At first, Muzuho (SAKAGUCHI, she is also a Nippon TV Beleza player) dribbled past many players and sent the ball to you…

Uetsuji: …And I just made a final touch. 

Ariyoshi: We had been told by our coach that we had to be careful with the line made-up by you and Mizuho, but you made it anyway. I could contribute to 2 of our goals by scoring one and proving the assist assist to the other, but what I remember much more is the moments that they broke through our defense. 

How important was it for each of you to play in the All Japan Women’s Youth (U-15) Championship?

Iwashimizu: It was a precious opportunity to test our strength since there were very few national-level women’s football matches. I’m not sure if I could have move up to play for Nippon TV Beleza from Nippon TV Menina, which is the second team of Beleza, if not for this. In that sense, it was a very important experience for me.

Ariyoshi: To be honest, I didn’t think about the meaning of the championship much; the only thing I recognised it as was as “a big championship” at that time. But the team’s aim was to win the championship and we just worked very hard just like a typical Japanese team at that time who work hard blindly. I just imagine Osaka Squad team was not like us?

Uetsuji: It was a squad team from all over Osaka, but we had known each other and enjoyed the locality together, and that helped us to be always cheerful and positive. Well we were very disappointed when we lost the goal at the 2nd half of Extra Time.

Ariyoshi: I found it funny to see you all didn’t really seem disappointed when we were crying with joy after winning the championship. After that final match, we took a photo together and I have kept it with me; it is a good memory. 

Please give the players messages.

Iwashimizu: Some of you may feel like you are in a flow of time. But I think you will have good discoveries for your football lives from what you are going to do in this championship. You will probably understand it later. For the local teams based in areas where women’s football is not so popular, you can get precious opportunities to experience the match against the teams from a popular area, so I just want them to absorb many things. 

Ariyoshi: It was such a precious opportunity for me as a junior high school student in Kagoshima to play against various top-level players of Japan. I hope that the players will have very meaningful times throughout the championship and I also want them to keep a strong motivation to beat the players who are the same or similar age. 

Uetsuji: They will be from different types of teams such as club teams or school teams, but regardless of these differences, I just expect them to enjoy football where they are. When I was a junior high school student, I used to practice on my own until I was satisfied; I thought I could enjoy football more and more if I could improve my skill more and more. I want the players to improve what they like to do and enjoy football. 

The 20th All Japan Youth (U-15) Women's Championship

Sat. 25 july - Fri. 31 July 2015
J-GREEN Sakai (Osaka)
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