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Two semi-final matches of the Prince Takamado Trophy JFA 35th All Japan U-15 Soccer Championship were held on Monday, December 25th at Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka.
Semi-final 1
Sagan Tosu U-15 0-7 (first half 0-5, second half 0-2) Kashima Antlers Junior Youth
In the first match, Sagan Tosu U-15 (Kyushu 2/Saga) faced Kashima Antlers Junior Youth (Kanto 5/Ibaraki). The game started in the first 5 minutes. Kashima actively pressed from the front, attacking fiercely against Tosu’s goalkeeper. Ogasawara Ogasawara stole the ball in front of the opponent’s goal and sent it into the net. Kashima gained momentum with the first goal, taking 12 shots in the first half alone, scoring 5 goals and overwhelming Tosu.
Tosu conceded a large lead, but at halftime they received instructions from coach Keisuke Mori to “be positive and make plays on our own” and showed an attitude of moving forward defensively as well. , changed the course of the game. We were able to increase the number of shots we took from one in the first half to five, including one that went wide of the goal in the 68th minute.
Although Kashima created some dangerous situations, they did not lose their aggressive stance. They added two more points with less than 10 minutes remaining, and advanced to the finals for the first time since 2002.
Semi-final 2
Kashiwa Reysol U-15 0-1 (first half 0-0, second half 0-1) Omiya Ardija U15
In the second match, Kashiwa Reysol U-15 (Kanto 7/Chiba) faced Omiya Ardija U15 (Kanto 1/Saitama). In the first half, both players played cautiously. Omiya has created a solid defensive organization and responds well to opponents who receive the ball between the lines. Kashiwa also used long balls, but Omiya’s strong defensive line continued to bounce back.
Omiya only had two shots in the first half, but they made use of their strengths early in the second half. In the 50th minute, center back Rin Nakazawa headed in a free kick in front of the opponent’s goal, giving her team the lead with her second goal of the tournament.
Kashiwa also tried to counterattack, but Omiya goalkeeper Yasushi Okamura, who had made a big save in the first half, showed off his defense. The highlight was the penalty shootout in the 72nd minute. He reacted well to the kick from Kashiwa’s number 10, Yuto Kamo, and cleared the ball himself. Thanks in part to the great work of their guardian deity, Omiya managed to hold on to one point, advancing to the final for the third time since 2013.
Coach/player comments
Keisuke Mori Manager (Sagan Tosu U-15)
After allowing the irregulars to take the lead, we were unable to make corrections. I couldn’t come last year, so the fact that no one knew what the atmosphere was like in the semi-finals might have had an effect. However, I think that the growth potential that brought us to Nishigaoka can be highly praised. This is not their final form, and I think today they learned for themselves what is important in a match, so I hope they will use that knowledge as power for the next match.
Kanta Hayashi (Kashima Antlers Junior Youth)
I’m a fullback, so I focus more on crosses than scoring goals. But today, I went inside thinking the ball was going to spill, and it spilled just as I had imagined, so I swung my foot through and was able to score. We weren’t just focused on winning, we were focused on keeping a clean sheet, so I’m glad we were able to easily win in the semi-finals. I’m a third year student, so the next final will be my last match. I want to give 120% and win so I don’t have any regrets.
Tomoki Hirayama Manager (Kashiwa Reysol U-15)
This tournament was a series of matches against strong opponents. We all covered what we couldn’t do alone and showed off our team strength. I hope the second-year students will break through the barrier of making it to the semifinals next year, and I want the third-year students to fill in the gaps once they become high school students. I hope that he can connect with the top team, and I would be very happy if he can successfully sublimate his thoughts and grow.
Yasushi Okamura (Omiya Ardija U15)
In the penalty shootout, it was said that the one with the strongest spirit would win, so I went into the penalty shootout with the intention of stopping the match. We kept in mind the thoughts of the players who were not on the bench, and our determination to prevent them from scoring at any cost led to the clean sheet. However, there are still many challenges. In this match as well, we were able to confirm that we were having trouble scoring multiple goals. In the finals, I would like to overcome these challenges and win the championship.
Conference period: December 16, 2023 (soil) to December 27 (water)
Click here for tournament information
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2023-12-26 07:03:13
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