match Match Schedule & Results

[Reserves]
GK:1, Norito OTSUKA
DF:26, Kyosei KATAYAMA
MF:3, Keiji KAGIYAMA, 8, Kai ISHIZUKA, 32, Shunya SUZUKI
FW:18, Daiki HASEGAWA, 31, Kei KOMATSU

○ Match Digest
On Saturday, December 27, as the year-end approached, FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa faced the 3rd Prince Takamado Cup Final Round under clear skies, following their appearances in the 2005 and 2008 tournaments. The match venue was their hometown Tokyo’s AJINOMOTO FIELD NISHIGAOKA. Many blue and red fans and supporters gathered at the venue to cheer them on toward their second championship in six years.

<<First Half>>
The match kicked off at 1:00 p.m. with Tokyo taking the ball. The start saw both teams cautiously entering the game. Tokyo tried to build their attack using Yoshida up front as a target man, but the gears didn’t quite mesh. At 6 minutes, Kobe gradually took control of the ball. A shot from the center was fired, but it went straight to Fukagawa’s goalkeeper Takase, who caught it safely without trouble. At 7 minutes, Fukagawa’s left side back Kusazumi broke through into the opponent’s area. The forwards followed up to launch a more substantial attack, but the opposing defenders held firm and stopped it.

After the 10-minute mark, Fukagawa gradually established the rhythm of their attack, focusing their offensive efforts on the right side. At 12 minutes, right side back Okaniwa surged up to the right front and earned a right corner kick. Midfielder Shinada’s kick found midfielder Yokoyama, who was free and darted into the near post, but his shot just missed to the right. At 14 minutes, another right corner kick followed. This time, central defender Shinohara (#15) delivered a decisive header, but it was blocked by Kobe’s goalkeeper. At 16 minutes, Fukagawa created chances mainly from set plays and seemed to gain momentum, but Kobe responded with a right throw-in, connecting passes and shooting from the center. The shot reached the finishing stage but went wide to the left.

While Fukagawa was gaining momentum but unable to score the opening goal, at the 21st minute, a player on Kobe's right side used his speed to break through vertically and connected with a free player in the center. Here, Fukagawa's defenders were drawn in and the ball was switched to the left for a cross. The central number 10, Imaoka, scored with a header, conceding the first goal.

Fukagawa, who fell behind for the first time in this tournament, never lost their composure. Even after conceding, Tokyo maintained control of the rhythm and pushed forward to score the equalizer. The equalizing goal came 10 minutes after falling behind, in the 32nd minute. Applying pressure from the front, they unsettled the Kobe defenders, and as the Kobe GK rushed out, they tried to head towards the goal. At this moment, #7 Yoshida was fouled and brought down, earning a penalty kick. #10 Shinada calmly converted it to GOAL!! The first half ended 1-1.

≪Second Half≫
The start of the second half saw neither side giving way, with a back-and-forth battle. At the 52nd minute, number 10 Shinada, supporting forward number 9 Fukino, won a left corner kick. However, they could not convert it into a finish. Fukagawa, unable to capitalize on this set piece, gradually lost their energy, and Kobe gained control of the pace. Kobe maintained solid possession, applying pressure and launching attacks against Fukagawa, but Fukagawa also set up a firm defensive block to counter. Fukagawa did not allow easy shots, but there were noticeable moments when they failed to recover second balls, leading to a prolonged period of endurance.

In the second half, Fukagawa was under sustained pressure, but in the 79th minute, just before the end of regulation time, they created a chance on a counterattack from their own half. From a hold-up play by midfielder No. 7 Yoshida, the ball went to No. 29 Katayama → then to the right front line where No. 5 Okaniwa and No. 10 Shinada exchanged passes. Okaniwa took on the challenge, cutting inside and tried to send a short final pass to the near post to forward No. 18 Hasegawa, but this was well defended by Kobe’s tenacious defenders. The match remained undecided at the 80th minute and went into extra time.

≪Extra Time≫
In the first half of extra time, Kobe raised their gear right from the kickoff, trying to take the lead, but Fukagawa held firm with tenacious defense, and the score remained unchanged. The match shifted again in the second half of extra time. In the 92nd minute, after a clearance by Kobe's defender, midfielder No. 10 Shinada calmly controlled the ball and delivered a floating kick forward. FW No. 18 HASEGAWA, who came on as a substitute, boldly challenged in the right area, held on, and sent a back pass in front of the goal. No. 7 Yoshida volleyed it in for a GOAL!! Finally, Fukagawa took the lead for the first time in this match!!

Kobe, trailing behind, went for a power play to try to equalize in the short remaining time, but Fukagawa kept repelling them. Then, in the 99th minute near the end of extra time, Fukagawa scored the decisive additional goal. Picking up the opponent's clearance, Sanada (10) → Yoshida (7) launched a counterattack! Yoshida broke through to the front line, facing the GK one-on-one. With a feint, he dodged the GK and calmly put the ball into the net for a GOAL!!

That settles it. Despite the struggle, Fukagawa defeated Kobe 3-1 to claim their second championship in six years!!

《Coach Okuhara》
“In this Final Round, we were able to return to Tokyo and play, and while it would have been good if the 'home atmosphere' worked in our favor, the players are still middle schoolers. I didn’t want them to become tense or have their minds shaken, which would dull their judgment, so I told them, ‘Let’s play as we always have and keep going,’ and we approached the match with that mindset. Fukagawa aims for 'thoughtful soccer.' Today, for the first time in this tournament, we conceded the first goal, and I wanted to see how the players would respond to that change... They played without faltering, endured during Kobe’s dominant periods, and fought to pursue victory until the very end. Although the match went into extra time, we talked about reaffirming what we have built over the past three years, the feelings among teammates, and our trust in each other as we fought on. Ultimately, today, #7 Yoshida stood out, but it was because other players worked hard and the team came together that we were able to stand on the final stage. In that sense, today’s last goal was one that carried the feelings of the other players as well. Throughout the tournament, I am grateful to have faced wonderful teams in every match. This is my third year as Fukagawa’s coach, and we have truly continued to work on carefully building up even the smallest things. The good plays and the bad plays shown on the pitch today were the very result of those three years of accumulation. We aim to grow and reach an even higher level from the best eight in summer... There are still areas to improve, but it is also a joy that this has taken the form of a championship. Also, since last year, we have made the players aware that 'fair play leads to results,' and I believe that today’s achievement is one fruit of that awareness. Thank you all for your support.”

《7MF Yoshida Player》
"We conceded the first goal and I thought we might lose our rhythm... but we stayed calm and were able to regain our pace. The goal came from a ball that everyone tenaciously kept alive. I just had to connect with it. Until the semifinal round in this tournament, I hadn’t scored and felt like I was causing trouble for the team, so I approached the goal with a strong determination. I believe this victory showed the strength of our spirit, reflecting the efforts we have put in over the past three years aiming for the national championship. At first, I didn’t really feel the reality of winning (laughs), but hearing the supporters’ cheers made it sink in. Thank you very much. Moving forward, I want to continue working humbly without being satisfied and become a striker who performs well on the big stage. My future goal is to become a player like the top player Muto. He has great dribbling and sharpness, and I want to be like that too. And I want to play for the top team of FC Tokyo."

《1GK Takase》
"Throughout the tournament, the defenders put their bodies on the line, and I think the team was able to demonstrate tenacious defense. Personally, I still made some kicking mistakes and gave the ball away to the opponents, but I made sure to stay calm and composed in those moments. I also focused on reading the flow of the game and providing solid coaching, and when giving instructions, I carefully considered the feelings of my teammates receiving them and thought about how best to communicate. Since my first year, I have been aiming for a national title and have worked hard together with my teammates, so I am very happy that we were able to achieve that and finish with a victory today. I will continue to work hard in the U-18 team and hope to become a player who represents Japan in the future."

《10 Shinada Player》
"We started the match with momentum, but Kobe also had many strong and skillful players, so we spent a long time being pressed. Then, we conceded the first goal, but everyone switched their mindset and I think we were able to bring the game to a good place. Before entering extra time, we reflected on what we had worked on for the past three years, were encouraged by the coach, and stepped onto the pitch. Regarding the comeback, I was truly happy that what we had been doing so far led to a goal. Also, aiming for the national championship this year was difficult, but I am glad we achieved it. Above all, this is the last time we play with this group, and I am most happy that we were able to unite and become the best in Japan. My future goal is to become a player like top team players Kajiyama and Yonemoto and to be active at FC Tokyo. I want to work hard in the U-18, which is close to the top level, and achieve my goals."