match Match Schedule & Results

[Reserves]
GK:1, Louis YAMAGUCHI
DF:33, Ko HASEGAWA
MF:10, Takumi NAGURA, 34, Koki ARAKAWA
FW:9, Takuma YAMAGUCHI, 12, Mikio YAMASHITA, 21, Ryuji FUKINO

○Match Report
It has already been about 10 days since FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa arrived in Obihiro, Hokkaido. Depending on the results, there was a possibility they might have returned home after just a few days, and during this time they have overcome many fierce battles, truly spending intense moments on the northern land. Ten days in a long life is just a brief moment, but the days spent during a middle school summer are very long and a great treasure. Whether they can add one more day to these passionate days or not. adidas CUP 2013, the 28th Japan Club Youth Soccer Championship. The semifinal round, where only two finalist spots are at stake, kicked off at 1:00 p.m. at Obihiro no Mori Stadium B Ground. The opponent was last year’s champion, Gamba Osaka Junior Youth.

“Believe in yourself. Believe in your teammates. And believe in Tokyo, believe in Fukagawa as we fight.” Just before the match started, Coach Okuhara spoke these words to the players, who then entered the game with the highest level of intensity. They fought fiercely for every ball and showed a strong defensive performance by surrounding and containing Gamba Osaka, a team with many highly skilled individual players. However, Gamba Osaka was by no means an easy opponent. Their offensive power is extremely high, having scored a total of 30 goals in six matches from the first round through the quarterfinals. With quick, well-paced passing combined with dribbling breakthroughs, they gradually pressed Fukagawa. Even so, Fukagawa responded with group defense and sharp covering led by Okazaki’s reading of the game. They carried the ball forward firmly after winning possession, making good use of the two forwards’ ideas. Defensive midfielder Sugioka, fullback Kaneda, and Okaniwa were often involved in attacks, adding depth. Fukagawa’s hallmark attack is moving the ball widely from side to side and then launching vertical attacks when the opponent’s defense spreads out. Although this did not often lead to goals, their strengths were clearly demonstrated. Fukagawa and Gamba Osaka—both aiming to be finalists—played a great game that fully showcased their qualities. At 26 and 28 minutes, Suzuki created good chances in quick succession, while at 37 minutes, the opponent’s headed shot threatened Fukagawa’s goal. The back-and-forth battle continued, and the score remained 0-0 as the match went into the second half.

As the second half began, the match heated up even more. Fukagawa increasingly entrusted the ball to GK Hirosue, who has highly accurate kicks, and launched attacks forward, backward, sideways, and even more broadly from him as a base. Using kicks skillfully varied in length, they bewildered G Osaka. Still, once G Osaka gained possession, they launched intense attacks; GK Hirosue barely saved a shot at the 48th minute, and another shot came just one minute later. If even a momentary gap was given, that instant could lead to conceding a goal under such relentless pressure. The more this tense, nerve-wracking situation unfolded, the more Fukagawa’s other strength came into play: their "tenacity." Although they did not have any big wins like G Osaka in this tournament, they fought every match with persistence and patience. At the 60th minute, the opponent unleashed a sharp shot, but GK Hirosue made a splendid save. Immediately after, the opponent nearly crossed from the right side, but Hasukawa threw himself to block it. Difficult moments came repeatedly. Still, each Fukagawa player continued to play with responsibility and maintained their patience. "I think this match will have many difficulties. But the longer we keep enduring, the more chances will come," said Coach Okuhara in the pre-match meeting. They kept enduring. And then the chance came. At the 76th minute, Daiki Hasegawa, who came on as a substitute, received a pass from Uchida and charged forward dribbling. Skillfully evading the approaching defender, he powerfully struck the ball with his right foot!! The scoreboard showed 1-0. Only a few minutes remained. G Osaka increased their attacking pressure. Could Fukagawa hold off the team that averages five goals per game until the very end? When a teammate picked up a loose ball, there was relief; when the opponent did, cold sweat broke out. Then, when GK Hirosue firmly caught a feed kicked by G Osaka, time was up. After a great game, Fukagawa secured their ticket to the final!!

Attacking, defending, running, putting their bodies on the line, and raising their voices. In the fierce battle against the defending champions, Fukagawa gave everything they had that day, extending their summer by one more day. To the players returning to the bench, Coach Okuhara said, "Alright, let's start preparing now for tomorrow." Having cleared the first round and defeated Verdy, Fukagawa has climbed the tournament while achieving several goals in this competition. And now, finally, it is the last stage. The next match will be tomorrow (24th) at 1:30 p.m. at Obihiro Forest Athletic Stadium against Yokohama F.Marinos Junior Youth. The stage is the Final Round. The goal they aim for is to be "Japan’s best"!!

Thank you very much for your passionate support today from Obihiro and Tokyo.
We kindly ask for your continued support for tomorrow's Final Round as well.