Pick-up Match
Albirex Niigata U-18 vs Yokohama F・Marinos Youth

The 3rd match of the Prince Takamado Trophy U-18 Premier League EAST will be held on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 April. The first day will see a match between two new faces in the Premier League, Albirex Niigata U-18 (Niigata) and Yokohama F・Marinos Youth (Kanagawa).

Although Niigata have lost one game and drew the other in the league so far, things do not look too bad. The team lost their first match to Ichiritsu Funabashi High School (Chiba) 4-0, but managed to earn one point in the 2nd match against Shimizu S-pulse Youth (Shizuoka).

The coach IRIE Toru noted positively: ‘we were beaten completely in the first game due to our lack of experience. However, we could stay more patient and wait for an opportunity to score in the 2nd match.’ We cannot wait to see whether these players, who are gradually becoming more confident, will win a home game to earn three points and improve themselves even more.

Yokohama FM, on the other hand, won the previous JAPAN Club Youth (U-18) Football Championship, and still have many players who have experienced victory. The team have drawn one game and lost the other in the Premier League so far. Although they took the initiative in the first match against Kashiwa Reysol U-18, they tied 1-1 in the end.

Coach and Players' Comments

IRIE Toru, Coach (Albirex Niigata U-18)
Yokohama FM is a strong team, and have some highly talented individuals. As the opponent have many players, who have started to play official matches since last year, it’s vital that we play tenaciously and try to keep a clean sheet. We conceded a goal just after four minutes in the game against Shimizu in the previous match. So we’d like to focus on managing risks at least in the first 15 minutes. Then I hope we can show our attacking style without taking risks. It’s up to how long we can play patiently while waiting for an opportunity to score. I expect the opponent might keep possession for a long time, but we are ready to cope with it.

HORI Koki (Albirex Niigata U-18)
Our strength is to initiate attacks from midfield or the wing. It’s essential we will stay competitive near the ball and keep possession as long as possible in the game against Yokohama FM. Personally, I’d like to show how I move when I’m off the ball. As I’m a forward, I’ll look for goals, while defending hard. In the Premier League, you will always encounter strong teams and talented players. I look forward to seeing how much we can improve as a team and as individuals.

MATSUHASHI Rikizo, Coach (Yokohama F・Marinos Youth)
As we haven’t displayed our strengths enough in the last two games, it’s vital for each player to show off his skills in the 3rd match regardless of the opponent. In the first match, we couldn’t find the back of the net, when we should have. In the 2nd match, we let the opponent lead the game and only displayed our strength when we were under real pressure. We’d like to learn from our experiences. Finding our rhythm from the beginning of the game is the key for this match. I expect the players to stay concentrated in every match.

TSUNEMOTO Keigo (Yokohama F・Marinos Youth)
I believe that our various attacks, using individual approaches, and each player’s skill to get through pressured space, are invincible. In terms of attack, it’s essential to show our ability to score when we take the initiative in the game against Niigata. As for defence, we must keep a clean sheet by maintaining solidarity. Personally, I’d like to focus on staying strong when defending 1-on-1, while aggressively looking for goals. I want to lead the team by assisting goals from the wing back position. I look forward to seeing how much we can show our style in a high-level match.

Albirex Niigata U-18 vs Yokohama F・Marinos Youth
Date: Sat. 23 April　kick-off 15:00
Venue: Niigata Seiro Sports Center Albillage
Access: Approximately 20 minutes by taxi from ‘Sasaki’ Station of JR Hakushin Line

Premier League EAST Match Day 3

4/23
11:00　Ichiritsu Funabashi High School vs Kashima Antlers Youth (Funabashi Houden Park)
13:30　F.C. Tokyo U-18 vs Omiya Ardija Youth (Ajinomoto Stadium West Field)

4/24
11:00　Kashiwa Reysol U-18 vs Aomori Yamada High School (Hitachi Kashiwa Soccer Field)
11:00　Shimizu S-pulse Youth vs Ryutsukeizaidai Kashiwa High School (Ogasayama Sports Park ECOPA Practice Ground)

Ichiritsu Funabashi High School (Chiba), who are in the lead with consecutive wins, will play a home game against Kashima Antlers Youth (Ibaraki).

F.C. Tokyo U-18 (Tokyo) will play against Omiya Ardija Youth (Saitama), who have been struggling with two losses from two games.

Kashiwa Reysol U-18 (Chiba) beat Kashima in the previous match, and will meet Aomori Yamada High School (Aomori) to stay top in the group.

JFA-TV (Japanese version only)

Match Day 2 Digest

More information