[1.6 NEW BALANCE CUP決勝 流通経済大柏高 1-1(PK4-2)八千代高 時之栖裾野G]
Ryukei Daikashiwa wins the “back championship”. “NEW BALANCE CUP 2023 IN TOKINOSUMIKA” (commonly known as “Ura Championship”) held the final on the afternoon of the 6th.Ryutsu Keizai Daikashiwa High School(Chiba) stood at the top of the 36 participating schools.Yachiyo high school(Chiba) ended the first half with a score of 1-1. Ryukei Daikashiwa won the penalty shootout 4-2 and won the championship.
The final, which was a showdown between Chiba prefectures, did not yield to each other and entered the penalty shootout. Ryukei Daikashiwa GK is the second player in the penalty shootout, which will be the third game of this tournament for both of them.Kousei Tosa(2nd year) jumps to the left and stops. Immediately after that, Ryukei Daikashiwa hit the post with a third shot, but Yachiyo also had four shots hit the crossbar. Lastly, Ryukei Daikashiwa’s fifth man, a large midfielderShiokawa Cherry Blossom Road(2nd year) decided with his right foot and settled.
Ryukei Daikashiwa faced the “Ura Championship” as an all-second year student. Takashi Takahashi, the coach who took charge of the team, said with a smile, “It’s said that lower grades are better. I improved a lot in this tournament, so I wanted to let them win as much as I improved.” At Ryukei Daikashiwa’s year-end festival, the first-year team defeated senior students from other schools to win the championship. The meaning of not being defeated. Above all, “There was a lot of desire to win together” (MFAsahi Nakata2 years), the strength of the thought led to the victory.
Yachiyo advanced to the final with a variety of attackers, tenacious defense, and strength in penalty shootouts. At the start of the match, Yachiyo played a series of high-intensity defenses, but Ryukei Daikashiwa, who excelled in both offense and defense, pushed their rivals in the same prefecture. In the 7th minute, Nakata’s left free kick was headed by Sakuragawa, and in the 18th minute, the 10th midfielder cut in from the left side.Yoshio Kasamatsu(2nd year) hits his right leg. However, Yachiyo GK Keine Tokuda (2nd year) responds.
Ryukei Daikashiwa gradually made a difference in terms of strength, momentum, and accuracy, such as the game captain Nakata stopping the ball. In the 29th minute, left SB Yuya Yamaguchi (2nd year), who attacked with a combination, crossed. MF thisSean Ryota Tanaka(2nd year) matched with his head, but Yachiyo GK Tokuda bounced the shot.
Yachiyo continued to be patient, but continued to focus on defense. Then forward Takumitsu Tanaka (2nd year) tenaciously took possession of the ball with a quick attack, while midfielder Momojiro Nakanishi (1st year) also showed strength and calm handling of the ball. In addition, both teams will utilize the high-quality kicks of captain Sota Azuma (3rd year), who started from last year, and the holding power of midfielder Genta Nishimura (2nd year). Then, in the 34th minute, Azuma’s left CK was headed back by CB Jitsukawa Souma (2nd year). At the end, Tanaka pushed into the goal from a melee and took the lead.
Yachiyo, who took the lead, finished the first half while maintaining a good flow. At the beginning of the second half, substitute FW Taro Sasaki (1st year) sneaks into the PA and shoots. On the other hand, Ryukei Daikashiwa has a presence with Kasamatsu’s exquisite traps and turns. He moved to three backs in the 19th minute of the second half and created a scene in front of the goal with crosses and such.
Yachiyo maintains quality and momentum by changing players. Jitsukawa and other DF lines play a central role in maintaining a 1-point lead. However, in this tournament, Ryukei Daikashiwa, who had caught up from 0-2 and even won a penalty shootout, did not lose heart and fought back. Then, in the 32nd minute, when the ball was regained in the opponent’s half, Yamaguchi on the left side exchanged passes with DF Sakuragawa. And Yamaguchi made a diagonal final pass from the cut-in to the PA. Nakata’s movement in the near field caused a break in the Yachiyo DF team, and the ball flowed into the far field as a forward.Hiroto Nakamura(2nd year) pushed into the right corner of the goal with a toe kick.
Tie. Ryukei Daikashiwa tried to make use of the speed of midfielder Ren Miyagawa (2nd year) to attack, but Yachiyo did not break down and aimed for a winning point with sharp counters. Chiba decisive battle ended 80 minutes with 1-1. At the end of the penalty shootout, Ryukei Daikashiwa won the match. Ryukei Daikashiwa’s team leader, Nakata, said, “Last year, we fought mainly for the Prince (in the first division of the league Kanto) and were demoted, so we all said, ‘Let’s overcome adversity.’ So, I think we have become stronger there,” explaining the driving force behind the team.
Midfielder who has been a candidate for the U-15 Japan national teamHiiragi Shimbo(2nd year) and others are absent due to injury. Even so, they are on good terms with each other and have a love for soccer.
Nakata said, “I was able to improve a lot after winning the championship, so that was good, but I don’t think I have the strength for the whole season yet, so I will continue to improve and improve where I have grown. It would be nice if we could grow in all aspects,” he said. The battle to regain the “strong flow” that had demonstrated outstanding strength on the national stage has just begun. The second-year students, who have gained confidence, play a central role in refining their strength and aiming to win the championship in a year’s time.
(Interview and text by Taro Yoshida)