Tsukuba Junior Prepares for the 48th JFA All Japan U-12 Football Championship

Manager Masahiro Nasukawa

The "48th JFA All Japan U-12 Football Championship," which determines the best elementary school-age team in Japan, will be held in Kagoshima Prefecture from Thursday, December 26 to Sunday, December 29. This year, Tsukuba Junior, winners of the Ibaraki Prefecture tournament, will compete in the national championship. With the national tournament approaching at the end of the year, we spoke with Manager Masahiro Nasukawa, who leads the team, about Tsukuba Junior's growth and their determination for the national tournament.

I Have Always Taught the Players the Words "Competition and Unity"

The "48th JFA All Japan U-12 Football Championship," where top elementary school-age teams from every prefecture across Japan gather, will kick off on Thursday, December 26. The stage will be Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu. Over four days until Sunday the 29th, the players will fight hard to determine the 2024 champion.

Kashima Junior and Norte Junior also participated in the Ibaraki Prefecture tournament. Tsukuba Junior, the winners, secured their ticket to the national tournament. Since all three teams were eliminated at the prefectural tournament in the previous tournament (2023), this will be the first time in two tournaments that the Antlers teams will compete nationally. This year's prefectural tournament also saw a series of closely contested matches, including the semifinal against Norte Junior, but Tsukuba Junior showed the composure to win tight games and successfully claimed the top spot.

In the Ibaraki Prefecture tournament final, they faced FC COLORZ, another strong team from Tsukuba City. With Munakata's final goal, they secured a 1-0 victory and earned their spot in the national tournament to be held in Kagoshima Prefecture.

 

"In the Ibaraki Prefecture tournament, there were many difficult matches, but I think one of the reasons we were able to win was that we generally conceded few goals and had the ability to consistently score when we attacked. This year's team has many players with distinctive individual traits, such as finishing ability and speed, but no single person scored all the goals or defended all by themselves; there was a sense of unity in the team, including the support of those around them. As is also stated in the philosophy of the Antlers Academy, I always tell the players the words "competition and unity." In our regular training, I make them aware that "this is a place for competition," while also encouraging them to unite as a team and show unity when it comes to matches. At the prefectural tournament, I felt that this was reflected in everyone's attitude."

Masahiro Nasukawa, who coaches the Tsukuba Junior players, reflects on their success at the prefectural tournament in this way. Not only does the team have top-tier talents such as FW Hayato Munakata, the team's main goal scorer, and GK Tatsuya Suga, the team's guardian of the goal, but they also united as a team around Captain MF Kiito Otsuka, defeating FC COLORZ (Tsukuba City) in the final to reach a moment of joy. Their next goal is to become the winter "best in Japan" for the first time in nine years for the Antlers teams, and for the first time for Tsukuba Junior.

"We are representatives of Ibaraki Prefecture, and also representatives of the three Antlers teams, so I want us to fight with that sense of responsibility and awareness, and win as many matches as possible. If you win one match, you win the next one. By repeating that, you eventually achieve the result of winning the championship. It was the same at the prefectural tournament, but our goal is first to win each individual match in front of us."

Tsukuba J players, rejoicing after winning the Ibaraki Prefecture tournament. Next, we hope they can earn the title of "best in Japan for elementary school-age teams" on the stage of Kagoshima and sing "Ob de la di, ob de la da."

I want everyone to see them fight with all their might until the very end.

As they prepare to take on the national stage, the players also recall painful memories. At the "JA Zen-Noh Chibirin Olympics 2024 (JA Zen-Noh Cup All Japan Elementary School Selection Football Championship Final Tournament)" held in May 2024, they aimed to win the tournament for the first time in two years, but they were narrowly defeated by Kawasaki FU-12 by one goal in the semifinals (3-4) and shed tears of frustration. They were also eliminated in the best 16 at the summer "JFA Vermont Cup (34th All Japan U-12 Futsal Championship Tournament)." Having painfully felt the wall to the national stage twice, they have been training toward winter.

"Being able to participate in national tournaments like the Chibirin Olympics and the Vermont Cup was a wonderful experience. On a high-level stage, we fought strong opponents and were able to actually feel with our own skin, not just in words, that "there is always someone better." Especially in the Chibirin Olympics semifinals, although the score was 3 to 4 and only a one-goal difference, we were constantly trailing, so we painfully felt our lack of ability. After the match, I told the players, "I want you to keep working without forgetting this frustration," and I think they were also able to face training again with motivation and a positive attitude after the national tournament. Therefore, those experiences are probably connected to the present."

At the JA Zen-Noh Chibirin Olympics 2024 in May 2024, they finished in the best 4 and were unable to win the tournament. Although they fought hard against Kawasaki FU-12 in the semifinals, they fell short by just one goal at 3-4, deepening their frustration.

 

 

To work toward winning the national championship, Tsukuba Junior will first compete in Group K of the first round, a league-style format with three teams, to advance to the round of 16 against Shusei SC (Tottori Prefecture), Togoshi U-12 (Saga Prefecture), and Desafio C.F. (Kagawa Prefecture). Then, from the round of 16, it will become a single-elimination tournament format, and they will aim to advance through the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. The first match of the first round against Shusei SC (Tottori Prefecture) will kick off at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 26 at Fureai Sports Land.

"For the players, this is also their last tournament in the junior age group. Since this will also be the last time they have the opportunity to play with this roster, I want them to have the mindset to challenge themselves without fear of making mistakes, to leave no regrets, and to face matches on the national stage for as many days and as many matches as possible. We will show a style of play where we go forward to take the ball away and keep heading toward the goal. And just as there have been many comeback victories so far, they are a team that can truly fight without giving up until the very end. I want everyone to see the players fight with all their might until the very end."

The Tsukuba Junior players have experienced both the good and bad times and have trained repeatedly on the pitch of the Tsukuba Academy Center. This winter will be the "culmination" of the year they have walked with Manager Nasukawa. Following the Chibirin Olympics and the Vermont Cup, they intend to express Tsukuba Junior football on the national stage for the third time and demonstrate the results of their daily training.

In the Ibaraki Prefecture tournament final, the victory was decided, and there was a scene where the players and Manager Nasukawa rejoiced as one. Together with Coach Riku Iwata and Coach Tomoyuki Suzuki, they will unite as a team to take on the winter national tournament.