＜Match Review＞
The final match of the 47th Japan Club Youth Soccer Championship (U-18) was held just one day after the semifinal match against Shimizu S-Pulse Youth on July 31st. It was a match against Gamba Osaka Youth, who they faced in the first round of the tournament. In the group stage, they had a 1-1 draw against each other.
In the final round, which is the first time in three years, we are determined to win the championship for the first time in six years and win in Tokyo at all costs.
1st HALF—Both teams refuse to give in. The game is tied at halftime.
The final round began with the kickoff of Gamba Osaka Youth. Both teams aim for the goal while holding onto the ball, but the high concentration in front of the goal prevents them from taking a shot, resulting in a close match. In the 13th minute of the first half, Shuto NAGANO's long feed on the left side leads to a combination play between Ryunosuke SATO and Watanabe TSUBASA, breaking through and entering the penalty area. However, Gamba Osaka Youth's strong defense prevents them from taking a shot. Then, in the 16th minute of the first half, a long pass from the opponent's center back goes over Shuto NAGANO's head and reaches Gamba Osaka Youth's Ando, who dribbles and takes a shot, but Wataru GOTO calmly deflects the ball, avoiding any danger.
After that, the attack and defense continued to go back and forth, and the game resumed after the opponent's goal kick during the water break. Although the opponent's goalkeeper's kick was cleared once, the ball was picked up and broken from the right side, and when Ando received the ball around the right corner of the penalty area, he immediately trapped it and swung his right foot. The ball hit the right post and was sucked into the goal, allowing the opponent to take the lead once again in the semifinal round.
However, Tokyo quickly counterattacks. Seisa NUMATA steals the ball in the midfield and passes it to Yuta SUGAWARA. He quickly connects with Ryunosuke SATO. They make a quick run down the right side and pass it to Shunsuke KANEKO who has come up to support from behind. He crosses it directly and Taiyo YAMAGUCHI heads it in, equalizing the score. From the kickoff after the goal, the ball never stops and Tokyo manages to catch up to the tie. Tokyo continues to hold onto the ball and create chances, but they are unable to score and the first half ends in a 1-1 tie.
2ndHALF—Extended with a dramatic goal
In the second half, both teams continued to attack and defend, but the game changed in the 29th minute. Despite holding onto the ball, the situation was such that they couldn't enter the penalty area. However, Ryunosuke SATO, Watanabe TSUBASA, and Seisa NUMATA connected and crossed the ball, which was cleared and resulted in a corner kick. Kicker Yuta SUGAWARA sent the ball in, and Shuto NAGANO headed it in front of the goalkeeper, successfully scoring a comeback goal. After that, Gamba Osaka increased their momentum to equalize. They relentlessly recovered the ball with intense pressing from the front line, making it a difficult time for Tokyo.
In the 36th minute of the second half, the ball was taken in the midfield and developed to the left side. When player Tono took distance from the defender with his tactics, he received the ball in the vital area and swung his right foot compactly, and the ball was sucked into the upper right corner of the goal, equalizing the score. After that, both teams concentrated on intense ball battles in the midfield. Just as the second half was about to end, the game changed in the timing of the 4 minutes of additional time.
When the opponent took advantage of a momentary gap during a throw-in, the ball was headed away and player Shuto NAGANO was able to break through into the penalty area. The ball was then passed to the near side with his left foot, resulting in a last-minute comeback for Tokyo. However, the drama was not over yet. Just when it seemed like the game was about to end, a dramatic turn of events occurred in the final play. Tokyo continued to attack in the opponent's half, passing the ball around after the kickoff. Player Kisei YOSHIDA on the right side supplied a cross with his left foot, and player Shuto NAGANO ran in from behind to head the ball into the net. The whistle blew at the 80-minute mark, signaling the end of the game and sending the intense battle into extra time.
EXTRA TIME - The closely contested match ended in a draw and went to a penalty shootout.
As the game went into extra time, both teams seemed to be affected by the fatigue of playing in the scorching heat of midsummer, resulting in more simple mistakes. In the midst of this, Tokyo took advantage of a momentary opening. Seisa NUMATA made a pass to Taiyo YAMAGUCHI, who broke through and entered the penalty area. However, his left-footed shot was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper's dive. Despite Tokyo's continued attacks, they were unable to find the precision needed to score.
Even in the extended second half, Ryunosuke SATO's dribble breakthrough created chances, but the opposing player was unable to break through the goal. There were moments where they were caught off guard and shots were taken, but Wataru GOTO calmly responded. Tokyo created multiple chances, but were unable to score, and the game ended, leading to a penalty shootout.
PENALTY SHOOTOUT
Tokyo, the first to attack, lost their first shot as player Ryunosuke SATO missed outside the frame. The following players, Yuta SUGAWARA, Kisei YOSHIDA, and Shuto NAGANO, calmly scored, while the opponent's fourth player missed and tied the score at 4-4. The fifth kicker, Taiyo YAMAGUCHI, had scored the most points for the team so far. It was a crucial moment to put pressure on Gamba Osaka, but the opponent's goalkeeper made a save. The situation became even more difficult as the opponent's fifth player had to score to win. Wataru GOTO stood in their way. When the opponent's kicker kicked the ball in a straight trajectory, GOTO blocked it with his remaining foot. The game was not over yet. Both teams calmly scored until the sixth kicker, and then moved on to the seventh. Tokyo's seventh kicker was player Masahide SASAKI, who managed to get past the goalkeeper, but missed the goal. The opponent, who was attacking second, calmly scored with their seventh kicker and the game ended. Tokyo showed great resilience, but fell just short and ended the tournament as runners-up.
MATCH DETAILS
＜FC Tokyo U-18＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Wataru GOTO
DF Shuto NAGANO/Jumpei ISHIDO/Seisa NUMATA/Shunsuke KANEKO (8 minutes into extra time: Shoei SASAKI)
MF Watanabe TSUBASA (1 minute into extra time: Divan Chinedu OTANI)/Ryunosuke SATO/Koda TANABE (15 minutes into second half: Kisei YOSHIDA)/Kaede SUZUKI/Yuta SUGAWARA
FW Taiyo YAMAGUCHI
SUBS
GK Masataka KOBAYASHI
DF Takamasa KANEKO/Yuki IWATA
MF Romeo ITO/Hyugo OMACHI/Kio TANAKA
GOAL
First half 28 minutes: Taiyo YAMAGUCHI/Second half 24 minutes: Shuto NAGANO/Second half 40+6 minutes: Shuto NAGANO
＜Gamba Osaka Youth＞
STARTING Ⅺ
GK Ryui ARAKI
DF Kotaro YONAMINE/Haruta YAMAGUCHI
MF Keiho IZUMI/Daiki MIYAGAWA (1 minute into extra time: Kaiki ENDO)/Shinpei OKURA (6 minutes into extra time: Yugo NAKAJIMA)/Kanta FURUKAWA/Masamitsu MORITA
FW Haruma OKAMOTO (30 minutes into second half: Ryotaro TAKEI)/Yuto AMANO (34 minutes into second half: Taisei TONO)/Rikuto ANDO (30 minutes into second half: Kojiro HISANAGA)
SUBS
GK Joshua Stayman Taro Kusataro
DF Ko Hasegawa
MF Yuta Sasaki/Tensho Yamamoto
GOAL
First Half 26th Minute: Rikuto Ando/Second Half 37th Minute: Taisei Tono/Second Half 40+4th Minute: Ryotaro Takei
[Takashi OKUHARA Coach Post-Match Comments]
Q, please review the game.
First of all, I would like to thank the club youth association for organizing such a wonderful tournament, and also the teams from Tokyo that we usually compete against as rivals. They created a home-like atmosphere for us at Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka and managed two matches that made us feel grateful. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.
Although we were unable to become champions with today's result, after the game ended, we spoke to the players about not giving up on their journey to become professionals and continuing to value each day from tomorrow on.
Gamba Osaka Youth is an excellent team, and we were able to see plays where we analyzed each other and tried to eliminate each other's strengths, as well as plays where we showcased our own strengths. It was a fair play, and there were also things we can learn from, so we will continue to work hard every day to win the next match.
Q, It became the final round against the opponent of the first match in the group stage. Did you feel any difference from the opening match?
A, while we were also able to gain strength by fighting in the group stage and tournament, we recognized that Gamba Osaka's precision had also increased. I think there were more scenes where we were on the defensive.
Q, it was a very tense game. What do you think were the factors that allowed us to successfully battle the summer heat and consecutive games, and what were the factors that prevented us from winning in the penalty shootout?
In the Premier League, we struggled and conceded many goals in the last additional time during the first half of the season. However, in that sense, I believe we were able to grow significantly by not looking down even when we conceded and by sticking together as a team to endure until the end. In the final part of the match, not only mental strength, but also technique and decision-making are all important. We were aware of that, but I think the players fought well. If I had to say one thing, I regret not being able to make better decisions and assess the players' fatigue levels. However, I have confidence in my ability to make decisions, as I have been closely watching every move of the players, including their rest days, up until this point.
Q, I think there was a significant growth in the lower class students in this tournament.
A, I think the key to struggling in the Premier League is how the third-year students accept the underclassmen. In this tournament, the third-year students were able to incorporate the first-year students well, and the first-year students were able to learn to face soccer with humility. I think it was a tournament where we were able to create a sense of unity that we had never seen before. We were able to see some first-year players who had never shed tears before, shed tears. I think it was great that players who were not aware of the importance of winning were moved by seeing the opposing team win today. I hope they will continue to connect to the future.
[Player Interview]
<Watanabe TSUBASA>
Q, please review today's game.
A, Today's game was a very intense match that I can hardly remember. The ups and downs of emotions were significant, and it was the most enjoyable game of my life so far.
Q, in this tournament, he wore the captain's armband and became a leader for the team.
At first, I was a little worried when I heard I would become the captain because I didn't think I had the personality for it. In the first match of the tournament against Gamba Osaka Youth, I wasn't able to act as a captain, so when I compare the first and last matches against Gamba Osaka, I think today I was able to use my voice as a captain and give individual instructions to my teammates.
Q, How do you plan to utilize your experience in this tournament for your future play?
A, I believe that not only myself, but also the team has been able to grow significantly in this tournament. Even in the Premier League, where we are currently struggling in 11th place, I hope that we can become a team that can aim for the top.
Q, the Premier League will continue after this. A word to the fans and supporters, please.
A, Today, thanks to the support of my teammates and fans and supporters who cheered us on until the final PK round, we were able to make it to the final round. I want to continue to do my best in the Premier League as a way of repaying their support and to show our best performance.
<Yoshida Kixei Player>
Q, please review today's game.
A, today's match was a game where we were scored on first. It was a bad start to allow the first goal in the semifinal round, but I think it was good that we were able to score and not lose without looking down.
Q, In this tournament, we also saw many third-year students leading the team while making many appearances throughout the year.
A, I thought I contributed to changing the flow and scoring to win since I joined in the middle.
Q, many fans and supporters came to cheer.
A, of course, the cheers of teammates, guardians, and fans and supporters who were not registered in this tournament resonated in my heart and became a source of strength. I believe that because we also had that atmosphere, we were able to have a stronger sense of unity.
Q, the Premier League will continue. Please give us your enthusiasm.
A, Although we finished as runners-up in this tournament, I would like to continue building on this and not get too excited or disappointed. I hope that our fans and supporters will continue to support us.
<Shuto NAGANO>
Q, please review the game.
A, I really wanted to win this game no matter what because we were able to catch up to a tie in the final moments of the second half. I think the opponent also approached the game with a strong mindset. I also conceded 3 goals as a defensive player, so I hope to improve on that.
Q, I think the determination to score at all costs led to the final scoring scene.
A, I thought that if there was not much time left, it would end as it is if I didn't do something. When the ball flowed to the right side, I thought to myself, "This is coming." Even though it was a far position from the goal, I was only thinking about scoring for sure. When I headed it with all my might, it went into the goal, so I was relieved.
Q, In the midst of struggling in the Premier League, where do you think the factor that has made you stronger throughout the tournament lies?
As you can see from the rankings in the Premier League, our team has not been doing well, but I believe that everyone on the team had strong feelings towards this tournament. During the tournament in Gunma Prefecture, we communicated with each other and through meetings, we reflected on our own play. As we played more games, I felt that the relationship between the players improved.
Q, do you have any thoughts on wearing the number "3" on your back?
In the top team, players like Masato MORISHIGE and Kanta DOI, who was in FC Tokyo U-18 until last season, wear numbers that can play both center back and midfield, so I feel a lot of weight because it is a number worn by players who are active as the center of the team.
Q, Many fans and supporters visited AJINOMOTO FIELD NISHIGAOKA.
A, there were also fans and supporters who came to support us from the group stage in Gunma Prefecture, and in the semifinal and final rounds, the support was especially amazing. Although we ended up losing, we could feel the support reaching us. Even in a tough situation, we were able to fight until the penalty shootout, and I think it was all thanks to the support.
<Wataru GOTO>
Q, please review today's game.
A, while we were able to quickly equalize and add points after conceding first, we unfortunately ended up being reversed due to a lack of focus in the final moments. Although we were able to catch up as a team, I personally couldn't stop the ball in the penalty shootout, leaving me with a very bitter feeling.
Q, please review the tournament.
The tournament started while struggling in the Premier League, but the team was able to grow with each match and the third graders were able to create a sense of unity. Although we lost in the final round, it was impressive to be able to play in a great atmosphere like never before.
Q, I have been making great saves throughout the tournament.
A, we conceded 3 goals again today and there are only challenges left. Today, there were a lot of mid-range shots, so I want to improve my ability to stop those shots and also work on coaching my teammates to move better.
Q, the games will continue from now on. Please give a message to the fans and supporters.
In the first half of the Premier League, even if the results were not good, many fans and supporters came to support us, so in the second half, we want to continue winning for the fans and supporters in the Premier League as well.
