The 91st All-Nippon High School Tournament Official Thread [R]

No one cares about this year's tournament? The first round brought some interesting results and some giant killing games with big favourites for the win like Teikyo Nagaoka, Rissho Shonan or Kokugakuin Kumagaya eliminated already.

 

I'm afraid there isn't a site like that existing unfortunately

 

Here are highlits from the 1st and 2nd round

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjU2OTgxMTUy.html
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjU3MDA1OTA4.html

 

Third round highlights

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjU3MTg0OTg0.html

Two big teams got eliminated in this round. Higashi Fukuoka seemed like more ferocious team than it turned out as they lost to Nissho Gakuen from Miyazaki on penalties and Aomori Yamada again lost in penalties like last year against Riseisha Gakuen from Osaka disappointing their supporters. It seems like the end of the golden age of Aomori Yamada as now they'll concentrate on the youngsters from the prefecure rather than drafting the talents from all over Japan and even abroad probably because lack of funds in the future.

Two teams put up an excellent fights against stronger opponents but got eliminated after all: Naha Nishi from Okinawa lost to Kyoto Tachibana and Shiritsu Urawa against Toyama Daiichi. Both teams were loosing 3:0 but managed to almost get back from behind and lost their games 3:2. Also look at the great atmosphere in Matsusho Gakuen from Nagano in 'Saigo no Rokka Rumu' - that's some exquistite team spirit there!

Seiryo does pretty good and punches above their weight but I'm a little disappointed in Toko Gakuen as I thought they could stop Yokkaichi Chuo.

If the game will be available anywhere a must see in quarterfinals is surely the game between Ichiritsu Funabashi and Kyoto Tachibana. Many said this year's draw was unfair as both teams should meet in final. The fight between Ishida and Iwase from Funabashi who are set to join Kyoto Sanga next year and Tachibana's superb Koyamatsu who'll join Nagoya after graduation will be surely a highlight before Kokuritsu.

 

Today's quarterfinals highlights

Seiryo - Shutoku 0:0 (PK 3:0)

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjU3ODEzMTIw.html

This game looked like Seiryo was playing and Shutoku was shooting which you can't tell from highlights. The brightest spot of the game was of course Seiryo's GK Kondo who saved all three Shutoku's PKs with team's captain Teramura striking the final blow and sending Siryo to Kokuritsu second time in a row.

Nissho Gakuen - Toyama Daiichi 0:4

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjU3ODE1Mzky.html

Better team won. Or I should say - the team which shoots better. Great first goal by Nishimura and last one scored by Murai, Shots on goal: 9-8. Final score 0-4. That's all.

Riseisha - Yokka Ichi Chuo 1:1 (PK 5:6)

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjU3ODE2NDI0.html

Great game with dramatic additional time equalizer and PK contest with saves from both keepers. Yokka Chuo's team coach saying that the team never lost in penalties which turned out to be false in post game interviews Classic.

Ichiritsu Funabashi - Kyoto Tachibana 0:2

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjU3ODE0MjYw.html

One word - Koyamatsu. This boy was on completely different level even playing against such a strong side. Great technics and he can finish. Making as little mistakes on the pitch as an established J League star. And does everything with the flow of the game instead of showing off. It's hard to say that Tachibana was the better team overall in this game but they took the game defensively and withstood it with defense made up from first and second year students backed up with GK Nagai who will join Roasso Kumamoto after graduation.

 

I would say Tachibana and Toyama.

 

Since the final game of this year's tournament played in few hours I'll post short reports with highlights from semifinals.

Toyama Daiichi - Yokkaichi Chuo 2:2 (PK 5:4)

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjYwNDk5ODg4.html

Very close game from both teams with nice level of skills. 90 minutes ended in a draw with beautiful FK goal from Yonchuko's Nakata. Toyama's school coach Otsuka before the PK contest changed the keeper. You don't see that everyday and it's even more rare he succeeded! The sub keeper Tago who had only seen like few minutes of actual game saved the PK executed by Nakata who scored great goal from PK and led the team for the first final in this very HS history!

Seiryo - Kyoto Tachiba 4:0

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjYwNDk4NjE2.html

Probably there wasn't a single person who would have thought about this result before the kick off. Also Seiryo lost against tachibana 1:5 less then a month ago in a game for Yout Premier League promotion. The game started with complete disaster in Tachibana's defence in the opening minutes. But the game was more or less sealed when Seiryo's captain Teramura scored from PK early in the second half. Seiryo's defense (they haven't lost a single goal so far!) has been extremely solid in this game, pinned Koyamatsu very well, closed the wings and waited for fast counters. Tachibana's offensive players looked completely hopeless trying to dribble past three or four Seiryo's defenders in individual efforts. Great win for Seiryo. Got better result then with Honda in the squad.

With this the final will be decided between two schools which never played in the final and what makes the game more interesting it will be Hokushin'etsu derby between teams from Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures.

 

That was indeed a dramatic and interesting final. Perfect for the last one before the renovation. Next year's tournament will start at Komazawa with semifinals and final played at Saitama Stadium.